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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
What’s Going On in Upper Bucks? January 30
Early Morning Bird Walk 8am-10am, free to public. Details at 215-357-4005 or churchvillenaturecenter.org Coach Bag Bingo 7pm-10pm at Benner Hall, 1260 E Cherry Rd, Richlandtown. Info: 215-343-9241 Cash & Designer Bag Bingo, 2pm at Upper Bucks Senior Ctr, 2183 Milford Sq. Pike, Quakertown. $20/advance, $25/door. Contact waysmeans@qmpo.org for advance tkts. Snow date Feb. 6 Roast Beef Dinner Take-out, 3pm-7pm at Tylersport Fire Co, 125 Ridge Rd, Tylersport. $10/pp, dessert may be purchased also. ??? aux@tylersportfireco.com Comedy Night at West End Fire Co, 1319 Park Ave, Quakertown. Doors open 7pm, Show at 8pm. Adm/$20, call 267-374-0732. Also Basket Raffles.
January 31
All-U-Can-Eat Breakfast 8am-12noon at Haycock Fire Co, 850 Old Bethlehem Rd, Quakertown. $7/adults, $5/ages 4-7, free 3 & under. 215-536-2224, haycockfire.org Coach/Vera Bradley Bingo, door opens 12noon, Benner Hall, 1260 E Cherry Rd, Richlandtown. Tkts/$25, call Denise at 215-536-6649 “Out of Hibernation Walk” 2pm at Peace Valley Nature Center in Doylestown. Free! Details at 215-345-7860
February 2
– Groundhog Day
February 3
AAUW hosts “Local Black History: Layle Lane & Social Activism” 7pm-9pm at Delaware Valley Univ. Life Science Auditorium. Open to public. Details at shalstrick@comcast.net or 215-340-7604
February 6
Reading Goes To The Dogs 2pm-3:30pm at Quakertown Library, 401 W Mill St. Children of all ages invited to come read to certified therapy dogs. Info 215-536-3306 11th Annual Quakertown Adult Valentine’s Comedy Show at Morning Star Fellowship, 7pm-10:30pm ($20 show only), ($45 dinner & show). Visit ALYOUTH.ORG, reserve at 24-hr hotline: 610-346-9663
February 7
Breakfast 8am-1pm at Springtown Fire Co, 3010 Rte 212, Springtown. $7/adults, $4/ages 5-8, free under age 4
February 8
“Trains” topic 7pm, West Rockhill Histor. Soc. meeting at West Rockhill Twp Bldg, 1028 Ridge Rd, Sellersville
February 9
“A 10 Step Plan for Constitutional Recovery” DVD presentation by Citizens for Constitutional Govt. 7pm at Quakertown Library, 401 W Mill St, Quakertown. http:// ccg-pa.org
February 10
Valentines Party w/Gary Dee 11:30am at
Milford Twp Fire Hall, 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown. Tkts: $12/lunch & party (sign up by 2/5), $6 at door/party only begins 12:30pm. 215-536-3066
February 11
AARP meeting 1pm at First United Church of Christ (fellowship hall), 151 S 4th St, Quakertown. Speaker will be Najja Orr (Bucks Co Area Agency on Aging) Questions? 215-536-7712
February 14
– Valentine’s Day Cash Bingo, $15/20 games at Eastern Upper Bucks Senior Ctr, 8040 Easton Rd, Ottsville. Doors open 12noon, 610-847-8178 Buffet Breakfast 8am-12:30pm at Benner Hall, Cherry St, Richlandtown. $7.50/adults, $4/ages 6-12, free under age 6. Breakfast 8am-1pm at American Legion Post, 610 E Broad St, Quakertown. $6/adults, $3/ages 6-12, free under age 6.
February 15 February 17
– Presidents Day
Free Community Dinner, doors open 5pm at Christ Community Bible Church, 1830 N Ridge Rd, Perkasie, 215-257-7318.
February 19
Mardi Gras Dinner Dance w/Good Times Orchestra. Reserve by 2/15. $22/dinner & dance, $10/dance only. Pennridge Community Ctr, 146 E Main St, Perkasie, 215-453-7027
February 20
Soup, Chili, Used Book, Rummage & Bake Sale 10am-12noon at Chalfont Fire House, 301 N Main St, Chalfont. $6/qt for soup, $7/qt for chili, also baked goods, 215-822-2251 Cooperstown 12U Baseball Team Fundraiser, 7pm-11pm at Benner Hall in Richlandtown. $25/unlimited food & drink, DJ, Basket Raffles, etc. Ticket info: Madrileigh@ verizon.net
February 21
18th Annual Daddy/Daughter Valentine’s Dance 1pm-3pm for girls 4-10 years. UBYMCA, 401 Fairview Ave, Quakertown. $19-$26/per couple. Call 215-536-YMCA for details, Cash only. Winter Concert by Palisades Community Chorus & The Delaware Valley Chorale, w/ orchestra & guest soloists, 3pm at Delaware Valley University, 700 E Butler Ave, Life Sciences Bldg Auditorium. Free!
February 23
Covered Dish Mbrship Meeting begins 11:30am at Upper Bucks Activity Ctr, Milford Twp Fire Hall, 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown. Bring a dish to share or pay $5. Info: 215-536-3066
February 24
“History of the Washington House” presented by West Rockhill Historical Soc. Held in Legacy Room at 1pm. Pennridge Community Ctr, 146 E Main St, Perkasie. Info 215-453-7027
What’s Going On in Upper Bucks? March 1
“Medicare: An Overview” (learn about Medicare supplements/deadlines) at 121 N Main St., Ste.210, Souderton. Info: 215-7030111 or everence.com/souderton
March 6
“Sentimental Journey” 1940’s Pops Concert (free) 4pm at Trinity Lutheran, Perkasie (Valley Choral Soc., Patricia Conrad, artistic director) 215-723-5841
March 9
St. Patty’s Day Party w/Joe Vitale at Milford Twp Fire Hall, 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown. $12/lunch & dance party begins 11:30am. Sign up by 3/7. $6/door party only. 215-536-3066
March 10
AARP meeting 1pm at First United Church of Christ (fellowship hall), 151 S 4th St, Quakertown. Speaker will be Dr. Robert Leight (history of one-room schoolhouses in our area) Questions? 215-536-7712
March 12
Fishing Expo Fundraiser 8am-3pm at Quakertown Fire Co, 505 W Broad St. Vendors w/fishing & outdoor supplies, Adm: $3/adults, kids under 12 are free. Breakfast/ lunch available, info: 215-538-1299 Beef & Beer Benefit to help build a dog park in Richlandtown.7pm-11pm at Benner Hall, Cherry St, Richlandtown. Tkts: $20/pp, music, food, dancing. 215-538-9290 or 267566-8062, leave message.
Have something to share with your community? Send us the details! info@ubfp.org • fax: 215-839-3421 Upper Bucks Free Press, 312 W. Broad St. Quakertown, PA 18951
Dating ‘Back in the Day’ Not having children and thus not having grandchildren in this stage of our life, I am not in touch with the dating rituals of today’s young people. Below you will find my observances of how it was then and what it is like now. Back in the day before we had a car of our own, we had to rely on the ability to reserving time of the families ONLY car for either dating purposes or going to school sports functions or dances. Today it is not unusual for Dad, Mom, and in many instances the teenage to each have a car. Therefore the car is not an issue. This governed the whole dating or “going out on the town” scheme in the mid 1900’s. Money was another issue. Not only did you have to pay for the movie and something to eat afterwards; you had to give a little towards the “gas” expense of the car. Fortunately many of us had part time jobs at grocery stores, small restaurants, or local industrial factories after school so we could pay these expenses. Sometimes, I must admit, I had to order something “on the light side” after my date ordered, because I just had enough by doing that to pay the meal and leave a tip! Because of many of these restrictions, it was common for Wednesday Night and Saturday Night to be the special date nights. Because I switched from College Prep to Business back in 9th grade, I found myself in classes that were mostly made up of girls. Because of this situation many of my friends would approach me to “put in a good word” with a certain girl. Thus I suddenly took on the job of Matchmaker. I believe this helped me later in my career in Auto and Real Estate Sales, because if you could be successful in this endeavor, you could sell anything. Guys would date a girl, then would continue in their goal of continuing dating by either calling on the phone on off date nights or talking to that special girl before school, at lunch, or briefly while changing classes. If a relationship became serious, then a couple was considered as “Going Steady.” This was serious and involved the exchange of Class Rings on which many girls would have her steady boyfriend’s ring on a gold or silver neck chain. The first date was always scary for the guy, because he would pickup the girl for the movie or dance and would have to meet the parents and family. Sometimes the parent would outline the time when it was appropriate for the young lady to be back home. After the first date if dating continued, sometimes you would
be invited to eat with the family (usually after church on Sunday). Once again you had to be sharp on your manners and always were weary of doing something stupid like spilling the gravy! That is the way it was back then. Now it is not uncommon for the young person to come to a dinner a short time later than their date shows up in a separate car. When the person comes in the room they just say a few words to the dates mother then come in the living room and sit down and join in with the rest of the young people by listening to a tune on their I-phone, showing a myriad of pictures taken since they were together last, or texting mutual friends. Hardly ever do they get into a conversation with the “old folks.” Soon after the lunch the couple might leave together to go see friends or the date that came in their separate car will say their good-byes and depart in the car they came in. No more regimented first date, second date and going steady! Next time you visit that family the person who had that visit of a young lady or gentleman might be introducing you to a new “drive-in” date as they enter the house. Things have changed. We would not have ever thought of going away on a 3 or 4 day trip with another couple after a few dates. Well we might have thought about it, but it would have never been allowed! Yes, we went on trips that were “Co-ed” but they were with a parent approved “escorted” group! After graduating many of my classmates went off to College or to serve in the Military and when dating at college or after returning from a war time military stint still brought our dates home on holidays and special occasions and our dating patterns changed as we saw each other more than on Wednesday’s and weekends. But we will always remember how it was back when we were teenagers and it is truly amazing how much it has changed. Somehow I think the “Hand Held” generation will continue to marry and raise their children. I wonder what it will be like for those born in the last 1 to 5 years when they begin “Dating?” The animal world continues with their special mating struts such as we see in the birds-the bugling and gathering of Cows as we see in the Elk of Pennsylvania, or the “Rutting” season of our local deer. These rituals have not changed for eons. Only we humans, who have the teenage desires of dating, seem to change. I hope this article will bring back memories both pleasant and embarrassing to you old folks such as I who lived back in the Rock and Roll Days of the ‘50’s and 60’s. Dick Helm is a regular contributor. He can be reached at dickhelm@ubfp.org
UBFP Monthly is made possible by the businesses and organizations you see on these pages. Remember to thank them for supporting your community’s voice.
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
A Country Winter
DANCE WITH ME DADDY
Daddy Daughter Dance Sunday, February 21, 2016 1:00 - 3:00 pm
A fun afternoon of dancing, games and crafts. Dress your best, drinks and snacks will be served. Full Member $19/couple Program Member $21/couple Non Member $26/couple
Get more information at www.ubymca.org.
UPPER BUCKS YMCA 401 Fairview Avenue Quakertown 215-536-YMCA www.ubymca.org
Winter in the country – oh what a wonderful time for a child. Usually, we did not experience 74 degree weather in December, and especially not on Christmas Eve. Children looked forward to a White Christmas, or at least a few snow flurries. But, come January, February, and definitely March, we knew there would be snow – lots of snow. The best part of living in the country for us children was “Snow Time” when we would make snowmen, snow forts, snow angels, and have snowball fights. Well, since I was the only child in my household, I had snowball fights with the trees, and I always won. The vastness of property in the country gave us many choices. We could build snow forts in the woods, or by the side of the house. We could make an entire family of snow people – mother, father, and children, each standing on their own tenth of an acre. And there is nothing like hiding behind a huge oak tree trunk as you hurl those snowballs toward your opponent during a snowball fight. The entire neighborhood of ten youngsters could have walked up the road to our house, and there would have been room for each child to make half a dozen snow angels in our front yard. One of the things that I liked best about snow was that my mother would make snow ice cream, which I absolutely loved. And, when it got really cold, there would be huge, foot long icicles hanging all along the edge of our roof. Not only did they display beautiful colors when the sun shined on them, but they were great snacks. That was back in the day when the air was pure, the snow was pure, and the water was pure. Well, I’m not real sure about the purity of the shingles on our roof, but all of us icicle-chomping children survived to adulthood. We had a rather long driveway (or so it seemed to me), and my mother would shovel one side from the house to the road, and back up the other side. I can remember walking down the driveway and not being able to see over the snow pile because it was so high. But then, I was just a pint-sized six year old, so I guess it wasn’t really that high.
Ongoing Events & Resources Tuesdays in March the Brick Tavern Inn, 2460 Old Bethlehem Pike, Quakertown, will donate 10% of sales to UBYMCA, thebricktaverninn.com Now through May – “Wed. Night Happenings” at Quakertown Church of the Brethren, 6:45pm8pm for Kindergarten thru 12th grade, info at quakertowncob.org or 215-536-7510 Hoagie Sales 2nd Monday of month (except July/August) at Trumbauersville Fire Co, 142 North Main St, advance orders due Wed. before. $5.25-$5.75, info/order: Kim 215-536-1998 or bucks58fire.com Saturday Bird Walks 8am on trails at Peace Valley Nature Ctr.in Doylestown. Bring binoculars, suitable for adults & over age 12 w/adult. $2 donation, 215-345-7860, peacevalleynaturecenter.org AARP Chapter #3377 meets 2nd Thurs each month, 1pm in fellowship hall (Sept through May) at First United Church of Christ, 151 S 4th St, Quakertown, 215-536-7712 All Veterans invited to join Forrest Lodge VFW, 2118 Old Bethlehem Pike, Sellersville. Call Frank 215-679-7770 Veterans invited 7:30pm, fourth Monday each month at VFW Post 3405, at 211 E Fairmount St, Coopersburg. Call for details at 610-282-1840 Veterans invited 1:30pm, second Sunday each month at John Rivers Memorial VFW Post 11322, 41 Belmont Ave, Quakertown, 267-3719636 Bring DD 214 for proof eligibility. PetSmart Adoption Day on 2nd Saturdays, 11am-3pm, PetSmart, 620 N.West End Blvd, Qkrtwn, 215-538-2843 lastchanceranch.org Neighbors Adoption Day, 2nd Saturday each month, 10am-1pm, Neighbors Home & Garden, 38 Main St, Hellertown, 610-838-7000 Last Chance Ranch Volunteer Orientation/ Tour, 1st Saturday each month, 10am-11am in front of Horse Barn, 9 Beck Rd, Quakertown, 215-538-2510 lastchanceranch.org Meet the Dogs at LCR, 12noon-3pm, Saturdays (weather permitting), 9 Beck Rd, Qkrtwn, 215-538-2510 lastchanceranch.org.
Singles Connection for adults meets Thursdays for social evening, 7pm at Silverdale Brethren in Christ Church, 165 W. Main St, Silverdale. 215-593-9995 carolonline1@ verizon.net Doylestown Singles Soc. Intermediate Bridge Club meets every Tues. 7pm at a private residence in Doylestown. Info at 215-340-7604 or shalstrick@comcast.net
Support & Service Groups
Sisters U Monthly Meetings 7pm-9pm the third Thurs every month, stef@sistersu.com Bullying Prevention Support Group 6:30pm-7:30pm every Wed at UBYMCA in Quakertown. Free. advance registration required: 215-750-7220 SOS Bereavement After Suicide – Family Support Group meets at St. Luke’s Quakertown Hospital twice monthly, info/details call 215-536-5143 Brain Injury Family/Spousal/Partner Support Group 6pm-8pm the third Monday every month at First UCC, Church Parlor, 4th & Park Ave, Quakertown, 215-538-3488 Caregiver Support Group meetings last Thurs. of every month, Independence Court of Quakertown, 1660 Park Ave, (meal provided), RSVP: 215-541-9030 to attend a meeting. Caregiver Support Group 4pm-5pm, meets 4th Thur. of month, Hidden Meadows, 340 Farmers Ln, Sellersville, (tour & complimentary lunch), 267-429-3931 hiddenmeadows ontheridge.com Upper Bucks Clinic, free medical care Mon & Wed 5:30pm-8:30pm to uninsured low-income residents of Upper Bucks Co w/no medical insurance & meet guidelines. Info: 215-538-4774, 267-404-7100 Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group meets 4pm, 4th Thurs of month, Hidden Meadows on the Ridge, 340 Farmers Ln, Sellersville. RSVP 267-429-3931 Alzheimer’s Assoc. Support Group, 3:30pm5:00pm, meets 2nd Thursday every month, Phoebe Richland Health Care Ctr, 108 S. Main St, Richlandtown. Free, more info: Social Services 267-371-4517 NOVA (Network Of Victim Assistance)
Community Meals
Support Groups, Information, Guidance, NOVA hotline 1-800-675-6900. www.NOVABucks.org Overeaters
Anonymous
meets
every
Thursday 10am-11am, West Swamp Mennonite Church, 2501 Allentown Rd, Quakertown, No dues, free babysitting, 215-538-3195 Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Sunday at 7pm, Grand View Hosp. info at 215-923-7900 Bedminster
Nar-Anon
meets
Tuesdays
7:30pm-8:30pm, Deep Run West Mennonite, 1008 Deep Run Rd, Perkasie, for family/friends of those struggling w/addiction, Bedminster. naranon@yahoo.com Doylestown Nar-Anon meets Wednesdays 6pm at Summit Behavioral Health, 702 Hyde Park, Doylestown. Call 215-589-7111 for directions and info. A Woman’s Place (support for domestic abuse/violence) 24-hour Hotline 1-800-220w8116, www.awomansplace.org Kiwanis meetings 2nd & 4th Wednesdays of each month, 12:30pm at Dominick’s Pizza, Quakertown Quakertown Lions Club meets 2nd & 4th Wednesdays each month, 7pm at John’s Plain & Fancy Restaurant, Quakertown Quakertown Rotary Club meets (1st & 3rd Tues 7:30am at John’s Plain & Fancy Restaurant) (2nd, 4th, & 5th Tues 6pm at Spinnerstown Hotel) Business Networking International (BNI) meets every Thursday 7am-8:30am at John’s Plain & Fancy Restaurant in Quakertown, membership
info:
James
Dodson
–
jamescovie@yahoo.com Believers in Business (Qtwn Chapter) meets 2nd & 4th Friday each month, 7:30am-9am at John’s Plain & Fancy Restaurant in Quakertown, info at 610-762-8054
My mother was a strong advocate of chores for children, so as I got older, I had to help with the snow removal. I did not like it because that part of winter in the country was not programmed into my DNA. It was a long process, and my hands and feet got too cold. When we were finished, and went inside, all I wanted to do was to take off my socks, shoes, and boots, and put my feet inside the oven of our wood burning stove. But, Mama said, “Oh, no! You must let your feet warm gradually.” I knew that gradually meant slowly, but my hands and feet needed instant warmth. Life is a learning experience, and I learned the hard way to listen to the advice of my mother about warming super cold hands and feet too quickly. The one thing that was almost a given to complete “A Country Winter” was a blizzard in March, sometimes on the first day of spring. In the mid-1950s, there was a mammoth blizzard in East Rockhill Township. Our country road was not plowed open for five days. There were about ten families on the half mile stretch of our road, and even the family with a tractor could not get through. But alas, a helicopter flew over and dropped off a sack of food for each of the families. That was an exciting first for the children and a welcomed sight for the parents. I don’t recall, but it must have been well into May before that snow melted! I cherished growing up in the country, and experiencing all the beauty, fun, excitement, and memories that winter offered. But, as I entered adulthood and eventually moved “Uptown”, I was very thankful that there were no long driveways to shovel, and my travel to work and to stores was less than five miles. In time I had children, and I could once again recreate “A Country Winter” – Uptown. Jacque Holliday, a lifelong resident of Quakertown, spends her retired time writing and volunteering. She enjoys taking photographs of nature. Additionally, she writes a blog, Jacque’s Patchwork Journal, at: jacquespatchworkjournal.weebly.com “Fourth Sunday” Breakfast every month, 8am-1pm, all-you-can-eat buffet, $8/adults, $4/ kids, (Easter Egg hunt in April), Lwr Milford Fire Co, 1601 Limeport Pk, Coopersburg Free Community Dinner third Wed. of month. 5:30pm-6:30pm, Christ Community Bible Church, 1830 N. Ridge Rd, Perkasie, 215-257-7318 Free Community Meals 6pm at Richland Friends Quaker Meeting on second, fourth & fifth Weds. every month. Mill Rd & Main St off Route 309, Qtwn, 215-538-7555 Community Meal-every third Thursday of the month, 5:30pm-6:30pm, First UCC, 4th & Park, Quakertown, 215-536-4447 Free Community Dinner first Thurs. of month, 5:45pm at the Yerger Bldg across the street from Trinity Lutheran, 102 N Hellertown Ave, Quakertown
Bingo
Bingo at Encore Experiences, 2nd Saturday of month, 1pm-4pm, lunch available to buy, (lots of $$ specials), 312 Alumni Ave, Harleysville, details: 215-256-6900 Bingo at Milford Twp Fire Hall every Thur, 12:15pm (first Thur. of month has $50 Jackpot), 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown, 215-536-3066 Bingo at West End Fire Co every Wed, doors open 5:30pm, (refreshments avail, smokefree), cash prizes, 1319 Park Ave, Quakertown, 215-536-6130 Bingo at Richland Twp Fire & Rescue every Tues. doors open 5:30pm, 64 Shelly Rd, Qtwn. 215-536-7226 Bingo at Great Swamp Fish & Game every Sat. night, open 4pm, games 6:30pm, kitchen open. Free coffee, 2650 Schukraft & Camp Rock Hill Rd, Qtwn, 215-536-8820 Bingo at Sellersville Fire Co. every Thurs. opens 5:30pm, 2 N. Main St, 215-257-4028 Bingo at Tylersport Fire Co. every Tues. opens 5:30pm, 125 Ridge Rd, 215-257-5900 Jackpot Bingo at Red Hill Fire Co Social Hall 3rd Friday every month, opens 6pm, games 7pm, 82 E 5th St, Red Hill Bingo at American Legion Post 397 every 1st & 3rd Friday of the month, opens 6pm, snacks available, 935 Main St, Hellertown, 484-851-3624
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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Appreciation for What You are Missing
Sharp Elected Keystone Opportunity Center Board President
Lucy P. N. Sharp, Esq., has been elected President of the Board of Directors of Keystone Opportunity Center. After serving as Keystone’s Vice President for 2 years, Lucy wholeheartedly shares the values of Keystone Opportunity Center. Their mission is to help community members in need by offering a comprehensive array of social services that educate, encourage, and empower them to become self-sufficient. Keystone’s staff collaborates with hundreds of volunteers to provide housing for the homeless in Upper Bucks and Montgomery Counties while feeding the hungry and educating parents and their children. Lucy is currently the Vice President/Chief Compliance Officer at QNB Bank.
‘Sports for Special Kids’ Team Sign Ups Underway In the year 2003, Mark E. Brown founded our non-profit organization called ‘Sports For Special Kids-Quakertown, Inc.’. This is a baseball league. Mark is the president of this organization. The previous years have been a huge success. Our baseball league is for mentally and physically challenged people from the age of 5 years through 99 years old. We uniform them with a t-shirt with their name on the back, hat, pants and socks. At the end of the season, you keep everything except the pants, they must be returned for use in the following seasons. The teams consist of the minor league team which is ages 5 through 13 years old, the major league teams are ages 14 through 99 years old. Our games are held every Sunday in May and June at 4:00 pm, except Memorial weekend, there are no games. The players should report to the game ½ hour before the scheduled time for practice. We supply all Gatorade
during the games only. The games usually last about 1-1/2 hours. Our home field is the Quakertown Little League fields on Mill Street. In our games, everyone gets to bat. The batter will be pitched to by our coaches until they hit the ball. Although, sometimes if the batter starts to get frustrated, we will use the t-ball stand. Everyone runs the bases. The last batter is announced so all the remaining players on the bases will know to run around until they get to home plate. There are no outs and there will be no score taken. We are there to have fun and not get upset by the score or outs. I hope this has been very informative to you. We hope to see you all sign up for our ‘Sports for Special Kids’ baseball team. We order uniforms March 1st, shirts get the player’s name on the back with a baseball number. I find it very rewarding watching the athletes play and have fun. If you have any questions, please call Paul Gerhart, Jr. 267-992-4973
Each and every one of us has an appreciation for someone or something each and every day. Think about it. What do you appreciate? That list is endless: mother, father, sister, brother, friend, special someone to lean on during those tough times, home, financial security, employment, automobile, clothes, jewelry, television show, place of worship, education, achieved character & integrity, and more. Let me make this relative to you. On that last descriptive item, let’s take the cases of Dumb & Dumber or The Russian Bear or Professor Chipmunk. Hey, they don’t have any integrity, but they are quite the characters with their collective behavior as the town clowns. Really, we appreciate the entertainment and laughter they bring to our everyday lives. We’d miss them if there weren’t around! People appreciate what they have. When it’s gone, then they miss it. However, when we lose our hearing, the opposite is true. In the beginning, our hearing may be normal. The deterioration happens gradually over time and we compensate subconsciously through speechreading, asking for repetition, increasing the television volume, and more. When our hearing is helped with digital amplification, we realize what we are missing. Then, and only then, we appreciate good hearing. The road to better hearing starts with the first step of admitting to yourself that you have difficulty hearing. Next, is to select the board certified and licensed private practice audiologist that will gladly invest the professional time in helping you hear better. Seek the guidance from your family physician or a trusted family member or friend who has been helped. Find out which professional audiologist they had the pleasure to work with and schedule an appointment. If you are not satisfied with that professional, then find another one. Once you have been evaluated and digital amplification is recommended, explore your options as to make, model, style, accessories, warranty, professional services, pricing, and financing options. The transaction is to be completed in writing utilizing a sales invoice agreement mandated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In the World of digital amplification there are six major manufacturers and a lot of other companies. Take a look at all of them. Consider your options as personal customized menu. Digital hearing aids have been commercially available since 1997. In those twenty years, we are well beyond twenty-plus generations
of development and refinement. Today’s amplification are light years from the old amplifiers that contained a volume control where you turned it up and down and heard all the background noise. The hearing aids you can be fitted with are personal, high technology, digitally-custom stereos. Hearing aids now provide to easily follow any conversation while being aware of sounds in your environment. You can comfortably listen to what you want to hear. The latest state of the art technology is so advanced that it allows you to hear voices and sound that matter most to you giving you the hearing you desire. This is not to oversell the device or raise expectations beyond what is possible. The digital wearer is enabled with more awareness in their environment with a natural sense of what is happening around them. You know which sounds are loudest, how close they are, and where they come from. With this increased awareness, the patient can focus on the voices and the sound they wish to hear, even when you are in adverse listening situations like a noisy restaurant or crowded room. The result is the freedom to move from one listening environment to another and allow the devices to do the work of automatically sampling the incoming sound while adjusting the output for loud, normal, and soft sounds. Ease of listening and understanding also extends to telephone calls and music. Accessories are available like a mini microphone to enhance speech in a restaurant or car, television streamer to provide direct input to the hearing aids, and a remote control to make a variety of adjustments for volume, programs, and streaming. Ultimately, people with hearing difficulty will not receive the care and begin the positive transformation in communication in their lives and relationships by delaying the process. To do so, they must secure the services of a board certified & licensed private practice audiologist, be properly diagnosed, fitted with appropriate digital amplification, and provided counseling and aural rehabilitation. Anything less by a sales person is simply squandering a lost opportunity and damaging any chances for a better quality of life.. Mr. Murphy has had a bilateral mild-to-moderate sensor-ineural hearing loss all his life and is a binaural in-the-canal hearing aid user. Mr. Murphy has been in practice in Pennsylvania since receiving his Master of Education in Audiology from University of Virginia in the Spring of 1987. Mr. Murphy is affiliated with a number of hearing related national and international organizations.
He
can be reached at hearingdoc@aol.com and by phone at
215-230-9000.
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
Understanding Lent BY PASTOR RAYMOND A. MILLER
The Upper Bucks Free Press is made possible by the businesses you see on these pages. Remember to thank them for helping to support your community’s voice.
Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.
This month, on Ash Wednesday, February 10, Christians in many places begin the observance of Lent, a season of the liturgical year lasting for forty days, not counting Sundays, and concluding on Easter. In the early church, Lent was a time when those, who wished to join the church, prepared themselves for baptism at Easter. In the Middle Ages, Lent took on a solemn, penitential tone. Today many Christians observe Lent by intentionally setting aside time for such spiritual practices as prayer, fasting, self-examination, repentance, charitable giving, and acts of kindness and love. Many congregations provide additional opportunities for worship, learning, and service. Ultimately, however, Lent is a time for Christians to focus less on what they are doing and more on what God has already done in Jesus Christ. In the Prayer of the Day for Ash Wednesday in the worship book Evangelical Lutheran Worship, those gathered in worship ask the “almighty and ever-living God” to “create in us new and honest hearts, so that, truly repenting of our sins, we may receive
from you, the God of all mercy, full pardon and forgiveness through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.” Who, but God alone, is able to wipe clean the slate of our lives, turn us around, and make us new? To this end, I invite you to ponder the following three important questions this Lent: How would our lives be different if God created in us new and honest hearts? Do we truly believe that God is capable of giving us full pardon and forgiveness? Do we picture God as being all merciful? Lent is a time for us to return to the Lord our God, “for he is gracious and merciful,” as Joel 2:13 indicates. Lent is a time for us to look toward our God as we look at our lives. Lent is a time for us to discover anew who our God is and what he calls us to be. Lent can be an exciting time, a growing time, and an empowering time. Lent is a time for God to draw closer to us as we draw closer to him. Raymond Miller is the pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Quakertown Borough. This column will rotate among pastors from around the Greater Quakertown area.
Lent is a time to renew wherever we are in that process that I call the divine therapy. It’s a time to look what our instinctual needs are, look at what the dynamics of our unconscious are. - Thomas Keating
Upper Bucks Area Places of Worship
Bible Baptist Church meets at Strayer Middle School Auditorium 1200 Ronald Reagan Drive, Quakertown 267-772-0288 www.biblebaptistcares.org Pastor: Thomas Harris Bible Study Hour 9:30 am, Morning Worship 10:30 am, Services interpreted for the deaf Christ Church United Church of Christ 101 N. Main Street Trumbauersville, PA 18970 215-538-0142 christchurch10@verizon.net www.christchurchisalive.org A friendly, welcoming church. Change fear into hope, doubt into faith. God is calling. Join us at 11am Sunday. Halleleujah! Christ’s Lutheran Church 1 Luther Lane, Trumbauersville 215-536-3193 Pastor: Carolann Hopcke 9:00am Worship, 10:15 Sunday School Free Drive-in Movies Friday evenings June through August, Handicapped accessible, Family Friendly Church Church of the Incarnation (Anglican-Episcopal) 44 S. 8th Street, Quakertown 215-538-3787 Ardores@verizon.net www.IncarnationQuakertown.org Pastor: Most Rev. Thomas J. Kleppinger Traditional worship, Biblical faith Sunday 10:30am, Holy Days as announced. Deep Run West Mennonite Church 1008 Deep Run Road, Perkasie 215-257-9643 deeprunwest@verizon.net Pastor: Rodger Schmell Service 10:30, nursery available, Sunday School 9:15, Men & Women’s Bible studies, Young Adult Bible Study & Programs, Preschool through High School age programs & events. All welcome to join us! Emmanuel Episcopal Church 560 S. Main Street Quakertown, PA 18951 215-536-3040 emmanuelchurch11@yahoo.com www.emmanuelquakertown.org Sunday services at 8am and 10am, Visitors and new members always welcome! Evangel Assembly of God 401 Arch Street, Perkasie 215-453-1565 • www.perkasieag.org Pastor: Rev. Gary Saul Where God’s Love Changes Lives
First United Methodist Church 501 Market Street, Perkasie 215-257-4626 fumcperkasie@verizon.net www.fumcperkasie.com Pastor: Scott Dorn Mission: Share God’s love, Make and nurture disciples of Jesus Christ, positively impact our community and world. Good News Church 424 Juniper Street, Quakertown 215-536-4393 Pastor: David Markey, Jr. An alternative to the ultra-contemporary Sunday Worship and Children’s Church 10:30 am, Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm, World Evangelism Fellowship affiliate. Good Shepherd Church (Episcopal) 1634 Hilltown Pike, Hilltown 215-822-3930 Pastor: The Rev. Catherine Kerr 10:00am Sunday Eucharist Grace Bible Fellowship Church 1811 Old Bethlehem Pike N., Quakertown 215-536-6096 grace@quakertownbfc.org www.quakertownbfc.org Pastor: Ron Kohl, Sr. Pastor Sunday School for all ages, 10:10am Morning Worship, Evening 1st & 3rd Sundays 6:30pm, Small Group meetings 2nd & 4th Sundays 6:30pm, Wednesday: AWANA (2yrs-6th grade) & Teens for Christ 6:30pm, adult bible study 7pm Morning Star Fellowship 429 S. 9th Street, Quakertown 215-529-6422 Pastor: John Decker www.mstarqtown.org Services at 9am & 11am, Children’s Ministry provided, EastWest Cafe open with free coffee. Celebrate recovery Wednesday 7pm. Check website for more info. MorningStar Moravian Church 610-282-1908234 S. Main Street, Coopersburg coopmoravian@aol.com Pastor: Jay Petrella Sunday services 10:00am. Small, friendly Protestant church. Community mission: Serving free dinners once per month. All are welcome. Call for information. Pennridge Christian Fellowship 720 Blooming Glen Road, Blooming Glen 215-257-7309 kallebach@pennridgecf.org www.pennridgecf.org Pastor: Thomas Vargis Sunday worship 10:30am, Sunday School after song service (infants to age 12), Wed evenings 7pm w/ prayer, Crossroads youth & (Sep-Apr) boys and girls clubs. All are welcome.
Quakertown United Methodist Church 1875 Freier Road, Quakertown 215-536-4992 barb@qumc.com www.qumc.com Pastor: Russell J. Atkinson Sunday morning worship - 8:00am 9:00am 11:00am Sunday School for all ages 10:00am, Communion offered first Sunday of the month Richland Friends Meeting (Quaker) Main St at Mill Rd & Park Ave, Quakertown 215-538-7555 Friends@RichlandQuakers.org www.RichlandQuakers.org Clerk: Jack H. Schick Non-Denominational guided meditations Wed, 7pm Sunday worship 10:30am “Absolute freedom of thought and worship is our faith and practice.” Ridge Valley United Church of Christ 905 Allentown Road, Sellersville 215-257-7244 rvucc.pastor@verizon.net www.ridgevalleyucc.org Pastor: Rev. Steve Myren We are a vibrant, welcoming Family of Faith. Worship: Sundays 9:30am. Ridge Valley: Growing Together in God’s Love. St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church 3668 Ridge Road, Perkasie 215-795-2965 office@kellerschurch.org www.kellerschurch.org Worship 7:45 & 10:15am, Sunday School 9am, Koinonia Cafe 8:30pm, Holy Communion 1st & 3rd Sunday, Children’s Church 2nd, 4th Sunday. St. John’s Lutheran Church 19 South 10th Street, Quakertown 215-536-3593 stjohnsquak@verizon.net www.stjohnsquak.org Pastor: Ray Miller Sunday Worship 8 and 10:30am, Sunday School 9:15am. Welcoming, Reaching Out, Serving. Elevator available St. John’s Lutheran Church of Spinnerstown 1565 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Spinnerstown 215-536-0734 stjohnsspinnerstown@gmail.com Pastor: The Rev. Axel Kaegler www.stjohnsofspinnerstown.org Worship Service 9:45am, Sunday School 9 9:45am, children age 4 through 6th Grade.
St. John’s Lutheran Ridge Valley 910 Allentown Road, West Rockhill Twp 215-257-9643 stjohnsridgevalley@verizon.net www.stjohns-ridgevalley.com Pastor: Amy Hotter 8:30am Traditional - 10:30am w/priase band. Grape juice & gluten-free wafers available.Handicapped accessible. All invited and welcome anytime to Share the Joy! St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Applebachsville 837 Old Bethlehem Road, Quakertown 215-536-5789 stpauls@netcarrier.com www.quakertown.net/stpauls Pastor: Rev. David Heckler We believe in sharing God’s love in joyful service. Come and see. All are welcome. St. Paul’s United Church of Christ 104 Green Street, Sellersville 215-257-7268 stacey@stpaulsucc.net www.stpaulsucc.net Pastor: Rev. Patti Thomas 8am Rejoice & Praise Worship in Parlor, 9am Sunday School - all ages, 10:15 Worship in Sanctuary, Crossroads 1st Sunday each month 9am in Fellowship Hall.. Trinity Great Swamp UCC Spinnerstown Rd & County Line Rd Spinnerstown 215-679-7710 tgsucc@verizon.net www.tgsucc.org Pastor: David R. Ellis / Matt Gorkos Sunday Worship Services 8am (communion 1st Sunday of month) and 10:30am. Sunday School classes for all ages (preK-Adult) and family activities 9:15am. Trinity Lutheran Church 102 N. Hellertown Avenue, Quakertown 215-536-4345 www.trinityquakertown.org Pastor: Lynette R. Chapman 9 am traditional services, 10:15 Sunday School, 11am Contemporary service, Handicapped Accessible, Family Friendly Church, Dynamic Music Ministry, Community Service Oriented Victory Fellowship Church 120 Ridge Road, Telford 215-257-7906 vam7@truevine.net www.victoryfellowshippa.org Pastor: Dr. Virgil A. Mobley Full Gospel.A friendly, loving, and joyful church where the presence of God is in His house. Check out our website.
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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Working to Right the Budget Wrongs Imposed by Governor BY REP. CRAIG STAATS OP-ED In an effort to restore billions in dollars of funding Gov. Tom Wolf cut from vital programs and services, the House began moving supplemental appropriation legislation this week. On Dec. 29, Wolf cut nearly $7 billion from the 2015-16 state budget he partially signed, eliminating valuable funding for education, health and corrections line items. In total, 87 percent of the responsible budget sent to the governor’s desk was signed into law. That budget spent more than $30.2 billion and would have given schools a $405 million in-
crease in funding, all without a broad-based income or sales tax hike. Supplemental appropriations bills to address the remaining part of the state budget are focusing on corrections, child advocacy centers and hospital-based burn centers. Bills to restore funding for other core functions of government – including prekindergarten through 12th-grade education and other health-related services – are currently being negotiated. Craig Staats represents the 145th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He can be reached at 215-536-1434 and by email at cstaats@pahousegop.com.
Fosbenner to Manage Wescosville QNB Branch
QNB is pleased to announce the promotion of Cory Fosbenner to the position of Vice President/Branch Manager at the Bank’s Wescosville Office. In his role, Mr. Fosbenner is responsible for increasing QNB’s client satisfaction through excellent service, community involvement, and by helping clients succeed financially. His duties include developing team members to their maximum potential, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Bank’s northernmost branch, and ensuring an enjoyable client experience. His previous position was Assistant Vice President/ Branch Manager at QNB’s Quakertown Commons Office. Mr. Fosbenner attended Millersville
University and has been with QNB since 2013. Aside from his education at Millersville, Mr. Fosbenner also attended US Army Basic Training, US Army Airborne School, John F Kennedy Special Warfare School, and the 18th Airborne Corps Noncommissioned Officer Academy. As an active individual in the community, Mr. Fosbenner is an Upper Buck YMCA and Quakertown Alive committee member, an Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce member, a National American Legion member, and a member of the 82nd Airborne Association. He currently resides in Quakertown with his wife and two sons and enjoys skiing, the outdoors, and traveling.
Wursta Named Bucks County Community College Trustee Bucks County Community College has appointed Philip Wursta to its Board of Trustees, college officials announced. “As past president and long-time board member of the BCCC Foundation, I have grown to love the college and its dedication to serving the community and student success,” Wursta said. “My interaction with faculty, staff, students, and the community has given me insight and motivation to further the goals of Bucks – providing the opportunity for an accessible, affordable, high quality education.” The Warrington resident is vice president of Traffic Planning and Design in Doylestown, providing transportation engineering services to municipal, county, and state agencies, as well as an array of private
and institutional entities. Wursta is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and Villanova University. He is also the current president of the Bucks County Transportation Management Association. Wursta was appointed by the Bucks County Commissioners in December to fill the remaining year of the term of S. Willis Calkins, a trustee who stepped down after many decades of valuable service to Bucks. Bucks County Community College’s Board of Trustees, established in 1964, is comprised of 15 members of the community who meet monthly to govern the two-year, public college. To learn more, visit www. bucks.edu/about/board.
Awkland Promoted to QNB Branch Manager at Quakertown Commons Wendy L. Awckland has been named Assistant Vice President/Branch Manager of QNB Bank’s Quakertown Commons Office located inside the GIANT food store. Wendy is responsible for the efficient and effective management of a full-service supermarket branch office, as well as coaching and motivating branch staff. Her previous position was Assistant Branch Manager at QNB’s Dublin Village Office. Wendy has been employed by QNB for nearly four years while her overall banking career spans over 20 years. She graduated
from Upper Perkiomen High School and attended Western Montgomery VoTech. Wendy studied Finance and Accounting and has American Institute of Banking Certifications in Principles of Banking, Accounting, Consumer Lending, and Law and Banking. Wendy lives in Quakertown with her family. She remains active in the Souderton and East Greenville communities where she previously resided. She is also active in Upper Bucks Relay for Life.
Think About Sending Financial “Valentines” to Loved Ones
Americans spent nearly $19 billion in Valentine’s Day gifts last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Much of this money went for gifts with short shelf lives, such as candy, flowers and restaurant meals (and about $700 million was spent on gifts for pets). There’s certainly nothing wrong with giving chocolates or roses. But this year, think about going beyond the classic gifts. Instead, use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to determine how you can make gifts with long-lasting impact to your circle of loved ones. Here are some suggestions: • For your spouse or significant other … As long as your spouse or significant other has earned income, he or she may be able to contribute to a traditional or Roth IRA. So, consider giving a check to be used for that purpose. A traditional IRA can grow tax deferred, while contributions are usually tax-deductible. (Taxes are due upon withdrawal, and withdrawals prior to 59½ may be subject to a 10% IRS penalty.) While Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, any earnings growth can be distributed tax free, provided the account owner doesn’t take withdrawals until age 59½ and has had the account at least five years. For 2015 and 2016, the IRA contribution limit is $5,500, or $6,500 for those 50 or older. • For your children … You don’t have to be rich to give your children a gift worth $1 million – you just have to help them through school. College graduates earn about $1 million more over their lifetimes than those without a degree, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Still, college isn’t cheap: The average annual cost – tuition, fees,
room and board – for a private four-year college is more than $42,000, according to the College Board, while the comparable figure for a public four-year school is about $19,000. Of course, if financial aid is available, you could get some help. Nonetheless, you may want to start putting away money for college. One popular college savings vehicle is a 529 plan. Your 529 plan contributions may be deductible from your state taxes, and any earnings growth can be withdrawn tax-free, provided it is used for qualified higher education expenses. (However, if you take withdrawals from your 529 plan, and you don’t use the money for these higher education expenses, you may be subject to both income tax and a 10% penalty on the earnings.) For your parents … If you have elderly parents, you may want to find out if they’ve got their retirement and estate plans in place. If they’ve already taken care of everything, you may not need to get involved – but if they’ve left some “loose ends,” your help could be a valuable gift. So, ask them if they have drawn up the necessary legal documents. Do they each have a will? Have they created a durable power of attorney, which allows them to name someone to make financial and health care decisions on their behalf if they become incapacitated? If it appears they have much work to do in these areas, you may want to offer to arrange a consultation for them with a legal advisor and a financial professional. None of these ideas are “traditional” Valentine’s Day gifts – but all of them can prove of great value to your loved ones. . submitted by Bob Podraza in the Edward Jones office on West Broad Street, Quakertown. He can be reached at 215-536-3635 or bob.podraza@edwardjones.com
‘Scales & Tails’ Reptile Club Forms in Bucks
There is a new 4H Reptile club in Bucks County. The club held their first meeting on January 10th. It was a exciting for so many like minded reptile-loving children to attend the first meeting. The club members voted to call their club Scales & Tails. This club will meet monthly to learn more about reptiles and do community service activities, too. This
club will be accepting members who have the same love for reptiles as the children that attended this first meeting. The meeting was enjoyed by all ages. Anyone interested in joining this exciting new club is encouraged to call the Bucks County Extension office for upcoming events at 215-345-3283.
Eric Fueller, Dylan Kratz, Nicholas DeLeo, Kaitlyn DeLeo, and Victoria Washel enjoy a visit with a rosy hair tarantula at the inaugural meeting of the ‘Scales & Tails’ Reptile Club.
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
Toy Designer Shares Insights at T’ville Elementary School “That’s a really cool job!” declared several fourth graders after Michael Klitsch discussed his 21-year-career as a toy designer with K’Nex, based in Hatfield. Mr. Klitsch volunteered to speak to Trumbauersville’s three classes of fourth graders after noticing during Open House in the fall that students build with K’Nex during a science unit. His sons, twins Nathan and An-drew, have played with more K’Nex pieces and models than most kids ever will. Michael said he works five days a week, but he is al-ways thinking, even dreaming at night, of what he can come up with next to build with K’Nex. “My mind never turns off un-less I am on vaca-tion,” he said. The designer’s presentation fit nicely into the Motion and Design, Force and Gravity unit in fourth grade science, according to teacher Melissa Weinstein. Students build models and experiment with rubber bands to see how, or if, the models will move. Teacher Mark Hewes added that using the K’Nex allows students to work with physics, math, kinetic and potential energy with a familiar toy. Students were inspired by Mr. Klitch’s speech to head back to the classroom to try more designs. Mr. Hewes was happy students heard that designing a mod-el follows a long process. Michael graduated from Pennridge High School and married a QCHS cheerleader, Lisa. He didn’t go to college. He answered an ad to work in the shipping department at K’Nex. Three months later, when a few designers left the company, he built a couple products, showed them
to management and was transferred to the design department. He explained that a store, perhaps Walmart, Target, Toys ‘R Us or Amazon will ask for a product, such as a thrill ride. Michael and three other designers will brainstorm a toy, the engineering, the color and the marketing. They will build it and write directions for consumers. They organize photo shoots for catalogs and packages. Nathan and Andrew have been on the packages and in the ads for a few new toys. They have helped come up with the toy names. Michael said the company builds about 40 different sets a year. He worked with NASCAR to design a uniform for Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and built a monster truck out of K’Nex for a man’s birthday party. His team built a mansized log cabin for a reality TV show. A couple years ago, he shook hands with Barack Obama when the president came to the K’Nex factory to promote manufacturing and job growth. Michael said K’Nex is intent on repatriating products back to the U.S. from China and elsewhere to bring jobs back to America. For the event, Michael and his buddies made a huge American flag out of, what else, K’Nex! Michael noted that some of the designers he works with have college degrees for Industrial Design. He has moved up in the world with an art background. In all, his presentation offered students a great College and Career Ready look at a real-life company just down Route 309 and all the potential it holds for future employees. submitted by Ricki Stein, QCSD
Away in a meadow all covered with snow The little old groundhog looks for his shadow The clouds in the sky determine our fate If winter will leave us all early or late. - Don Halley
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Stepping Outside the Bubble
February is Black History Month. Though there have been African-Americans in Upper Bucks County since colonial times, there has never been a large number of them. The rural, agrarian economy and the religiosity of early residents forfended the use of slaves, indentured laborers or house servants (roles that colonial Blacks usually filled). Even so, as much as any community in America, we should participate in this month’s celebration of a major aspect of our national and cultural heritage. “E Pluribus Unum,” after all. The Quakers, who established the first government in Pennsylvania, and are also the first recorded settlers in this region, once called the Great Swamp. They believed in equality among all men (and women). Consequently, there is little early documentation of AfricanAmerican residents. Freemen were seldom singled out and qualified as, “Black.” In the early 1700’s, when the Pennsylvania Assembly repeatedly tried to outlaw the importation of slaves (of any color or creed), but was overruled by the English Crown, this region was only sparsely settled. Documents archived by the Friends of Richland Meeting, have no mention of slaves at ‘Ye Swamp’. When Richland and Milford were established in 1734, records show there were no slaves in either township. It does not prove there were no free black men living in Upper Bucks. There is no record of slaves in this region until 1787. That year, Richland Friends Meeting disowned a dozen of its members for providing too much support for the Revolutionary War effort (a violation of the Quaker Peace Testimony). Renowned civic leaders Samuel Foulke and James Chapman were among them. The Meeting also disowned Elizabeth Potts who refused to give up her slaves. There is little information on Ms Potts, and there is no indication that her slaves were black, but it can be assumed they were. These Quaker records are the first documentation of AfricanAmericans living in this area The Federal House Tax, enacted in 1798 to raise money for an anticipated war against Napoleon, required an assessment of all privately owned buildings. The amount of the levy was determined by the number of windows in a house (hence, the nickname, The Window Tax), and by the number of slaves owned by the property holder. The Law provoked a local uprising now called the Fries Rebellion, which resulted in Milford Township, Quakertown and parts of Lehigh and Berks Counties being brutally occupied by Federal troops. At the time of the assessments, records show that there were no slaves in Upper Bucks. However, it does not consider free black men, of which there were many thousands in Pennsylvania. Well known Underground Railroad stationmaster, Richard Moore, came to Quakertown in 1813. By the 1830’s, after Moore had assumed ownership of the Penrose Pottery on South Main Street, escaped slaves sought refuge and assistance here from the benevolent local population. By the Civil War, over 600 escaped slaves had passed through the Quakertown Station on their way to freedom. Some of them stayed here. Local historians and readers of the “Upper Bucks Free Press” are familiar with the story of Henry Franklin. A more detailed bio-sketch of Franklin can be found in “A Sketch of Henry Franklin and Family’, Collins Printing
House, Phila, 1887”, Quakertown’s own, Dr. Robert L. Leight’s book “Richard Moore and the Underground Railroad at Quakertown” or in the “UBFP” archives. Henry Franklin (slave name Bill Budd), is the first local African-American of whom we have substantial documentation. Henry Franklin was born in Maryland in 1803. His father, Jared Budd, was an enslaved carriage driver for Francis Scott Key, of Maryland. When freed by Key, Jared moved, first to Ohio, then to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Franklin’s mother, who belonged to a different ‘master,’ soon joined her husband. On a visit to his parents in 1837, Bill Budd ‘escaped’ and followed the established Underground Railroad routes to Quakertown, where he decided to stay. The U.S. Constitution permitted bounty hunters to cross into Free States to recapture lost ‘property’. Richard Moore believed Budd would be safe in Quakertown and gave him a job and a place to stay. Budd changed his name to Henry Franklin and drove pottery wagons for Moore for over seven years, frequently transporting other escaped slaves. Franklin’s fiancée, Anne Brooks--also of Maryland-soon joined him and they were married in Quakertown. Franklin eventually built a house, which still stands on Main Street. Jared Budd and his wife also relocated to Richland, changed their names to Franklin, too, and opened a broom making business. According to Richard Moore, Henry Franklin “faithfully performed his various duties. [He] was always the right man at the right place. His integrity, intelligence and courteous bearing won the confidence and regard of all with whom he mingled and did more to break down prejudice against color in the adjoining country than any other influence.” It is unusual to hear of a black man living prior to the Civil War who was ‘judged for the content of his character, rather than by the color of his skin.’ Kathy J--- was the only African-American in my QCSH graduating class of 1970. Quakertown has never had a dramatically diverse demography. Consequently, we sometimes fail to appreciate the amalgamation produced in the American Melting Pot. We tend to focus on our own ethnic and genealogical histories. During Black History Month, we should force ourselves to step outside of our ‘bubble’ and contemplate aspects of our national culture with which might have little experience. I am too young to appreciate Jackie Robinson, but I recognize his significance. I watched Martin Luther King speak on black and white television and was impressed. Each week, I watched “I Spy”, and enjoyed the film “Lilies of the Field,” which introduced me to African-American entertainers. I saw Captain Kirk kiss Lieutenant Uhura. I listened to the wisdom and appreciated the character of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. I saw Barak Obama ascend to the presidency of the United States. In my lifetime I have witnessed important “Black History.” But, if I step outside of my bubble I see that it is actually the history of the United States. Today, my nation has come closer than any time in history to achieving a principle belief, that “all men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.” More articles by Jack H. Schick can be found at Searchwarp.com or Soulofwit.com
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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Dublin TEC Offers Shared Office Spaces Co-working spaces in a shared office, are now available at the Dublin TEC Small Business Center. Tim Fielder, spokesman for Dublin TEC said “This new service, Rent-A-Desk, is ideal for the owner of a home-based business who has out-grown a home-office but can’t yet justify the extra costs and responsibilities of a long-term lease for a private office”. Fielder continued, “We see co-working in a low-cost, shared office space as a practical and financially attractive solution for many self-employed professionals, such as entrepreneurs, sales persons, writers, programmers, educators, contractors, consultants and engineers of all types”. The Rent-A-Desk service will provide tenants with desk space in an office shared with other entrepreneurs and independent workers. For $175 per month, each tenant will be assigned a furnished workspace or cubicle, with limited WiFi, utilities and trash collection included. The monthly rent also provides tenants with - 24/7 access to the building, a personal locker, on-site management, reception desk,
use of a recognized commercial address, daily USPS, FedEx and UPS collection and delivery services, a loading dock and plenty of offstreet parking. When required, secure storage, secretarial, bookkeeping and marketing support services are also available. Rent-A-Desk will complement the 30,000 sq.ft of private offices, studios and workshops that Dublin TEC Small Business Center has available. Ann Kusnicki, CEO recently said “Since 1995 Dublin TEC has been home to over 130 local businesses. Currently, we have 31 tenants with activities as varied as karate and kickboxing, a dancing school, real estate agents, consulting engineers, country retail store, automobile repair shop and a peanut brittle manufacturer”. Kusnicki continued “When a Rent-A-Desk tenant outgrows their shared co-working space they can simply move across the corridor into one of our larger, private offices with only a minor interruption to their daily business.” More information is available by calling 215-249 -9401, at dublinteccenter@juno.com or at www.DublinTEC.com
10 Best Kept Secrets to Sell Your Home
Getting Ready to Sell? Heading into 2016 I am hearing from prospective buyers that there is a lack of homes on the market. Super Bowl Sunday has always been the official kickoff of the Spring selling season but we’ve seen a huge increase of buyers that want to get out and look at homes! If selling your home is in the near future for you, consider these helpful selling tips! Selling Secret #10: Pricing it right Sellers often think they should start the asking price high and then lower it later if the house fails to sell. But that can result in a slower sale – sometimes even at a lower price. The first 30 days’ activity of your house being on the market is always the best activity you’re going to see.. If the price is too high, many buyers and their agents will stay away, assuming you’re not serious about selling or you’re unwilling to negotiate. Selling Secret #9: Half empty closets Storage is something every buyer is looking for and can never have enough of. Take half the stuff out of your closets then neatly organize what’s left in there. Buyers want to see how much closet space you have, so be sure to keep all your closets and cabinets clean and tidy. Selling Secret #8: Light it up Maximize the light in your home. After location, good light is the one thing that every buyer cites that they want in a home. Take down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in sunshine. Do what you have to do make your house bright and cheery – it will make it more sellable. Selling Secret #7: Play the agent field A secret sale killer is hiring the wrong broker. Make sure you have a broker who is totally informed. They must constantly monitor the multiple listing service (MLS), know what properties are going on the market and know the comps in your neighborhood. Find a broker who embraces technology – a tech savvy one has many tools to get your house sold. Selling Secret #6: Conceal the critters You might think a cuddly dog would warm the hearts of potential buyers, but you’d be wrong. Not everybody is a dog or cat lover. Buyers don’t want to walk in your home and see a bowl full of dog food, smell the kitty litter box or have tufts of pet hair stuck to their clothes. It will give buyers the impression that your house is not clean. If you’re planning an open house, send the critters to a pet hotel for the day. Selling Secret #5: Don’t overupgrade Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Mammoth makeovers, not so much. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market. Instead, do updates that will pay off and get you top dollar. Get a new fresh coat of paint on the walls. Clean the curtains or go buy some inexpensive new ones. Replace door handles, cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on
track, fix leaky faucets and clean the grout. Ask your agent for their recommendations! Selling Secret #4: Take your ‘home’ out of the house One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to depersonalize it. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff – put it in storage. This includes family photos, memorabilia collections and personal keepsakes. Consider hiring a home stager to maximize the full potential of your home. Staging simply means arranging your furniture to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space. Selling Secret #3: The kitchen comes first You’re not actually selling your house, you’re selling your kitchen – that’s how important it is. The benefits of remodeling your kitchen are endless, and the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back. It may be a few thousand dollars to replace countertops where a buyer may knock $10,000 off the asking price if your kitchen looks dated. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new cabinet hardware. Use a neutral color paint so you can present buyers with a blank canvas where they can start envisioning their own style. If you have a little money to spend, buy one fancy stainless steel appliance. Why one? Because when people see one high-end appliance they think all the rest are expensive too and it updates the kitchen. Selling Secret #2: Always be ready to show Your house needs to be “show ready” at all times – you never know when your buyer is going to walk through the door. You have to be available whenever they want to come see the place and it has to be in tiptop shape. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep the dishwasher cleaned out, the bathrooms sparkling and make sure there are no dust bunnies in the corners. It’s a little inconvenient, but it will get your house sold. Selling Secret #1: The first impression is the only impression No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. It’s important to make people feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach the house. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive shrubs and brightly colored flowers. You can typically get a 100 percent return on the money you put into your home’s curb appeal. Entryways are also important. You use it as a utility space for your coat and keys. But, when you’re selling, make it welcoming by putting in a small bench, a vase of fresh-cut flowers or even some cookies. Sue Deily has been a Realtor® for 31 years, resides in the Upper Bucks Area and enjoys serving her clients in Bucks, Lehigh and Montgomery Counties. Sue is happy to answer your real estate questions and can be reached at suesellshouses@gmail.com and at
215-872-9865.
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
Fiddlestix Opens New Studio on Broad Street
Fiddlestix Paint & Sip has relocated their studio to 1542 West Broad Street, Route 663, directly across from the Trainer’s Station Shopping Center in Quakertown. Proprietor and life-long artist Linda Stauffer started Fiddlestix just over a year ago at the McCoole’s Arts & Event Center next to the Red Lion Inn on Main Street, Quakertown. Remarks Stauffer, “I really wanted to start a business like this and I’m very fortunate to have found that opportunity with Jan Hench at McCoole’s. I couldn’t have done it without her! In just a year, we’ve already outgrown the space!” Stauffer’s new studio is in its own building,
formerly a pet shop. Brightly lit and wide open, Fiddlestix can accommodate about 2 dozen ‘painters and sippers’. Speaking of sipping, patrons are able to BYOB while painting and socializing with others. That was not possible at McCoole’s as that business has a liquor license prohibiting outside beverages. Stauffer will likely add a number of different art parties and programs to Fiddlestix for artists of all ages and abilities. She remarks, “I’m so excited about our new place. The possibilities are endless!” Learn more about Fiddlestix by calling 215536-4495, emailing fiddlestixpaint@verizon. net, or online at www.fiddlestixpaint.com
Epiphany themed display at Peace-Tohickon Lutheran Church. Many put their hands to work creatin and hanging them above the congregation’s heads for worship services through the Epiphany seaso Wednesday. Come see the beautiful “starry skies” at Peace for yourself. Peace-Tohickon Lutheran Churc at 100 Old Bethlehem Road in Perkasie (off Route 313).
ERS: BuckyGrams: hugs,kisses,cherearts,candy,romance, flowers,cupid,happiner,jewelry Hidden message: Love is in the : I’m overcome with happiness.
QNB, Employees Donate Over $28k to United Way
QNB Bank recently held its annual campaign to raise funds for the United Way. Led by Ann Gaspar, this year’s campaign was the most successful yet, tallying up an impressive $24,054 from employees and an additional $4,500 from the Bank for a total contribution of $28,554. pictured: Ann Gaspar, Executive Secretary, and Dave Freeman, President/CEO of QNB Bank
Trumbauersville Elem
There were plenty of celebrities on hand at this year’s 3rd Grade Wax Museum held at Trumbauersville Elem run, Abraham Lincoln pontificates on the merits of freedom, and Pocahontas discusses life in her tribe and in Lo
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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Under Oath...
ng the stars on until Ash h is located
(top) The first order of business at the Quakertown Borough Council meeting on
January 4 was to swear in the council members who won the elections this past November. Judge C. Robert Roth administered the oath of office to Mike Johnson, Doug Propst, Lisa Gaier, Jim Roberts, and Jann Paulovitz with family and friends in attendance. Jim Roberts was voted in by the Council to serve as Council President (middle) Lisa Gaier takes the Oath of Office as witnessed by husband Matt and children Jake and Kylee. photos by michele buono (bottom) Trumbauersville Borough Council members Michael George and Harcourt Trimble are resworn into office by Mayor Melissa Baine. photo by christopher betz
PUZZLE ANS ubs,lovers,red ness,special di air! Box Puzzl
mentary Wax Museum
mentary School. (left to right) Audrey Hepburn poses with her biggest fan photo: cjbetz, Babe Ruth calls his home ondon. photos: becky spor
(right photo) State Rep Craig Staats, Holiday Inn Express sales director Natalie Blum, and Quakertown
Borough Manager Scott McElree participated in the 2nd annual blood drive held at the hotel.
photo by michele buono
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
Is Your Dog Nipping Your Children?
Tooth Decay? Oh No! Ah February - dental month in veterinary medicine! The black sheep of the veterinary world. I often think that people are skeptical that we are just looking for money when we discuss dentals. ‘Do they REALLY need that?’ ‘He/she eats just fine, how are his/ her teeth a problem?’ ‘Wow, that’s a lot to just clean the teeth!’ Well, let me give a little insight on why we recommend dental cleanings, and why they are important! Just like humans, dogs have the parts of their teeth we can see, and then also the entire root that is hidden beneath the gum line. The area we actually worry about the most, is this part we can’t see! Often the tartar on the tooth may appear mild, but under the surface there is infection, inflammation, and break down of the root. This is all the nasty stuff that leads to loose teeth, and eventually tooth loss! Infections in the mouth can also spread to the heart, or other body areas, leading to way more serious problems!! There are MANY times that we set up a dental cleaning, expecting to only clean up some mildly affected teeth, but then we get in
there, do a full oral exam, take some dental x-rays, and find more severely affected teeth that we end up recommending be removed! If we remove the affected teeth now, we can prevent ongoing infection and chronic pain. And imagine if we had not done the dental! Eek! You would be surprised how much chronic pain we think is associated with ongoing dental disease. The other quote that I often hear is, ‘Wow – he’s like a new dog! So active and playful now!’ Yes, we commonly hear that, and yes I’m still talking about teeth!! So the next time your veterinarian talks about the teeth and mentions a cleaning – talk more about it before deciding no! I know I only recommend it when it will truly benefit the pet, and I bet your vet does too….so consider it, and get more info before making a decision. Your pet’s pearly whites, and him/her still having them when they are older, will thank you! Oh and – feel free to brush those teeth! Three times a week! Happy February!! Dr. Mehaffey and partner Dr. Jen Heller own and operate the new Pennridge Animal Hospital on Ridge Road in Perkasie and can be reached at 267-272-9996. They also founded Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue.
Harley’s Haven
Meet Nolan!
Meet Bumble!
Nolan is so handsome....and he is all hound! Handsome Bumble! This poor little guy was This cute boy is about 3-5 years old and is such found abandoned in Philly with a collar ema wonderful companion! He loves other dogs bedded in his neck. But we got it removed and (though not as into playing, so a more mellow he is all healed up and doing great! Bumble is companion would be preferred), and is good an ACTIVE guy! He loves to run and play and with cats, and ALL people! He loves hanging would do best as an only dog, or with another out and being with you....and he is so sweet! pup who is exuberant and outgoing like him, He is neutered and up to date on vaccines. He as he can be too much for more mellow pups! would do great as a family pet, or a personal He is neutered and up to date on vaccines, and companion! waiting for you!! Learn more about Nolan, Bumble, and all of their friends awaiting their furever homes by calling 215-527-7432 or by visiting us at HarleysHavenRescue.com
I love nothing more than watching a child giggling while playing with her puppy. Dogs and young children always need parental guidance to teach them how to become friends. One common problem happens when your excited dog wants to chase after and nip your excited child. Here are a few things you can do if your puppy wants to play a little too rough with your youngsters: 1.) Chaperone: Never leave small children alone with even the most trustworthy dog. If you’re present when play starts to escalate out of control, you are able to step in and calm things down. Chasing a squealing child is a very fun game, at least for the dog. Behaviors that are inadvertently reinforced are more likely to be repeated and are harder to modify or extinguish. 2.) Make rules: Children should be able to run around the house without getting ambushed by Rover. Set some house rules to minimize the chase-and-nip games. One house rule should be that before rowdy play happens, the dog goes away to a safe place to settle with a wonderful stuffed chew toy, so she doesn’t feel punished. Another house rule is absolutely
no deliberately antagonizing the dog to encourage her to chase or nip. Violation of these rules should result in loss of dog companionship. 3.) Train your dog: The better-trained your dog is, the easier it is for you to calmly and quickly intervene. A “Come” or “Down” cue for a dog who is under control can stop the chase-and-nip game. A high-value reinforcement must be delivered immediately to your dog as soon as he responds to your cue. Behaviors that are reinforced are more likely to repeat with enthusiasm. 4.) Teach your children: The best way to teach your children how to play with your dog is to include them in your dog’s training program. Teaching how to play “Drop It” by offering a treat or a toy to give up something she has in her mouth. Encourage them to play games that direct the dog’s energy – and her teeth – toward something other than a child’s skin or clothing, such as a ball or Frisbee. The better you are at teaching your children what to do (and reinforcing them for it!), the more they will do what you want them to. Just like dogs! Submitted by Marion C. O’Neil CPDT-KA, CTDI, Owner and Trainer for Molasses Creek Dog Training, LLC Quakertown, PA
Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local. Meet Mason!
Bucks County SPCA
Mason is ready for his new home! Even though he gets lots of love and attention from his adoring fans at the shelter, Mason is telling us that he really doesn’t like his cage and would prefer a comfy home to explore. He came to BCSPCA as a stray in November and is one of our longest term residents. This gorgeous boy is 8 years old and front declawed. We want to help Mason get his wish and because we know that he is meant to be a priceless companion, we are waiving his adoption fee! He seems to do well with the cats here at the shelter and so we expect he can live peacefully cats in his new home. We’ve seen his grumpy side (especially when trying to put him back in his cage!) so we suspect he may do better with kids who are old enough to give him space when he needs it. Oh -- and did we mention he loves catnip?
If you are looking for a feline friend and like the idea of making wishes come true, stop by the Quakertown shelter at 60 Reservoir Road to meet Mason and fall in love!
Did you know?
The average lifespan of an outdoor-only cat is about 3 to 5 years while an indoor-only cat can live 16 years or much longer. Life expectancy of pet cats has doubled over the past 50 years.
I am sure enjoying the warmer than usual winter we are having. My toes really get cold walking on ice and snow. I am forced to remind all of you that this is the month of Valentine day. That means you need to show your sweetie some special attention. The Adventure Light Youth have their annual Comedy Show on Feb 6th. The show starts at 7PM and it’s 3 1/2 hours of laughs for $20.00. That’s a bargain!!! Go to their web site for more info: www.alyouth.org or you can call 610-346-9663 if the computer and you don’t get along. This is also dental month for animals. Many vets give a discount for getting your animals teeth cleaned. It has been found that bad teeth can give us health problems. My human had my teeth done last year and 2 of my dog brothers are going this month. You can see by my picture that my teeth look great. Love M.J.
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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For the Love of Wiggles BY PETER M. WILLIAMS It was mid July 2013 and I received an e-mail from my wife of a dog available for adoption at a New Jersey animal shelter. Her name was Wiggles and she was advertised as an eight month old beagle. There were two pictures of her on the website and she was nothing short of adorable. My family and I have owned beagles for the past five decades and we never owned a different breed. We had already made the decision to become a two dog family earlier in July and were looking at puppies with our three children. Our children were interested in a puppy because our eight year old beagle was starting to slow down. She was sleeping more and not playing with the children as much as she once did. The thought of adopting a dog from an animal shelter was always in my mind but nothing I had ever seriously considered. While growing up I was told to be careful about dogs that are adopted from shelters because you don’t know if they were abused or mistreated and I was also told that animals are usually taken to the shelter because they had problems of one kind or another. In any event, the prospect of having the eight month old beagle that was advertised for a donation of $75.00 certainly seemed much better than the nearly four figures that many purebreds are fetching these days. Together as a family we decided that we would adopt Wiggles. We contacted the shelter to see what was required to adopt her. To our disappointment, we were told that another family had already adopted Wiggles. We were heartbroken and devastated and we regrouped to try and find a puppy from a breeder. Two days later we were called and told that the person that adopted Wiggles returned her because the new owner was allergic to her. We completed the application in record time and I faxed it to the shelter that day. The application was several pages long and asked questions about our yard, how often we are home, other pets, our experience with dogs, ages of our children, and veterinarian references. Despite faxing the application that day, we did not hear from the shelter for a couple days. Then we received a call that we could adopt Wiggles contingent upon how Snickers, our eight year old beagle would interact with Wiggles. My children, Snickers, and I hurried to the shelter and we met Wiggles. To my surprise, Wiggles looked a lot like a beagle, but I could tell that she was not a purebred. Her tail had been cut and the ribs in her body were visible from malnourishment. Her hair was rough like a wild boar and she was missing some hair on the top of her back by her tail and near her ears from what the shelter indicated was a flea infestation which had been treated. After receiving our adoption paperwork, the volunteer from the shelter attempted to explain their return policy and I told her not to bother we don’t return
dogs. Snickers and Wiggles got along, we made our donation and we were on our way back to Bucks County with our new dog. In accordance with the instructions from the shelter one week after we adopted her, we took Wiggles to our veterinarian. Our vet told us that Wiggles was malnourished, had an amateur job at cropping (cutting off) a portion of her tail, that she recently had puppies, and that she was not eight-months old, more likely she was two and a half to three years old. Additionally, they checked her for a microchip which the shelter said she did not have, however, our veterinarian found a microchip. They found the number and told me that they were going to call to see if Wiggles was registered to an owner. I politely told the veterinarian not to make the call as we have legally adopted her and my entire family loved this dog and we couldn’t possibly face the prospect of giving her to another home. The vet told us that it was the law and my heart sunk for about twenty minutes as the assistant was on the phone. To our surprise, Wiggles was microchipped but no one ever registered her number. She wasn’t going anywhere after all! She was ours “free and clear” as they say in the legal profession. Our two and a half years with Wiggles has been nothing short of spectacular. There are many days when my wife, Snickers, and I will be on one floor of the house cleaning or working, and the kids will be on another floor with Wiggles as she always prefers to spend time playing with the kids. Additionally, Wiggles will frequently pick a child to sleep in bed with at night or to cuddle with when a child gets sick. Wiggles is the friendliest and most loving dog that I have ever owned. We will never know about her past other than what we were told by the animal shelter though we can imagine that she had a rough life before adoption. Her hair eventually grew back where it was missing from the flea infestation, she has managed to gain a few pounds so that her ribs are not visible while she is standing, and her fur is smooth as it should be now that she is receiving proper nutrition. I am telling this story so that everyone who is thinking about or on the fence about adopting a dog from an animal shelter, give it a try. The advantages of adopting a dog greatly exceed the disadvantages of adopting a dog. The negative rumors that I heard regarding mistreatment of dogs early in their life making the dog unpleasant later in life are totally untrue. In fact, I believe the opposite to be true. I think that because Wiggles had gone through so much in her life prior to adoption that she is actually more loving toward her family as she knows what her life was like prior to adoption. On the other hand, Snickers has been treated like royalty since she was eight weeks old and she does not know what it is like to be mistreated, therefore, she probably thinks that all dogs are treated like her.
Last Chance Ranch Rescues 16 Horses in Worst Neglect Case Yet On Friday, January 22, Last Chance Ranch in Quakertown received a phone call to aid in the rescue of over 16 horses. With the impending snow storm, it was imperative to get the most critical horses to the vet. LCR aided in the transport of 5 critical horses to Quakertown Veterinary Clinic on Friday which are going to another secure rescue due to the investigation. On Tuesday, January 26th, after the storm subsided, our rescue efforts continued. LCR staff and volunteers were back on the site and transported an additional 7 horses, 20 sheep and 1 dog to their facility for emergency care. Of the horses, three are severely emaciated with a Henneke Body Score of 0, which is actually below the lowest level of 1 on the scale of 1 – 9, needing round the clock care. The Henneke Scoring System is a scientific method of evaluating a horse’s body condition regardless of breed, body type, sex or age. It is now widely used by law enforcement agencies as an objective method of scoring a horse’s body condition in horse cruelty cases. Two are pregnant and the other two have a Henneke Body Score between 1 and 2. Four additional horses remained on the scene and could not be transported until the snow could be cleared. These horses all have a Henneke Body Score between 2-3 and are being fed by those who assisted with the rescue efforts until
it is safe enough to transport them. The three emaciated horses that arrived at LCR’s facility on Tuesday were not able to stand during the trailer ride. These horses had to be pulled off the trailer and carried into our barn. The worst went to Quakertown Vet Clinic for emergency vet care. The efforts of the team of staff, volunteers, and newly made friends for these horses were amazing. Everyone pulled together to literally carry these stoic horses not giving up their will to live. Details of the situation are not able to be disclosed, as this is an ongoing investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police. This is by far the worst case of neglect LCR has seen. The volume of animals and the number of dead horses on the property was astounding. Last Chance Ranch is doing everything it can to ensure the animals in our care are receiving the veterinary and nutritional care they need to get them back up to speed. The organization needs everyone’s support, prayers and donations if you can to help these animals pull through. LCR offers special thanks to the volunteers of Richlandtown and Haycock Fire Companies for their valiant efforts that made this rescue possible. Contact LCR at 215-538-2510 for more information on how to help.
Did you know?
The average lifespan of a horse is 30 years. For a healthy animal, it costs approximately $1,825 annually to provide basic care for a horse, not including veterinary medical or farrier hoof care, or about $54,750 over the life of the animal.
- American Veterinary Medical Association
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
Kathleen A. “Kathy” Urich, 54, of Sellersville, died peacefully in her home surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with breast cancer. She was the loving wife of Ray “Butch” Urich for the past 25 years. Born in Philadelphia, raised in Southampton, she was a daughter of M. Joan (Mahoney) Maloney, of Warrington, and the late Donald Maloney. She was a 1979 graduate and the President of her class at William Tennent High School, attended USC, and received a Bachelors in Broadcasting/Communication from Temple University. She worked as a Domestic Relations Officer for Bucks County for a number of years and part-time the past few years for the Quakertown Veterinary Clinic. She also supported her husband’s business, Butch’s Body Works. When her children were younger, she was actively involved with the Pennridge Women’s Network and La Leche League. While her boys were a part of the local organizations, Kathy was very involved in the Pennridge Greenjackets and the Rams Booster Club. Kathy was a prolific writer throughout her life, particularly in recent years as she chronicled her journey battling cancer in her blog, StoppingForGreenLights.com Surviving with her husband are her sons Jake, (Shannon) of Perkasie, Dean & Cole, at home; grandson Grayson; brother Donald, wife Renee of Phila.; sister Terry Shea of Sellersville; sisters-in-law Pat Paul, husband John of Warrington, and Roberta Urich of Telford; nieces Meghan, Maura, Maggie, Kelly, Sharon, and Kelly Sue; nephews Dillon, Shamus, & Ed; her beloved dogs Griffin, Benji, & Biscuit; and cat Tabitha. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to QVC Angel fund, 2250 N. Old Bethlehem Pike, Quakertown, Pa 18951, “People & vets helping people & pets.” www. janauglefcs.com
~Obituaries~
Mary B Potts, age 86, of North Cape May passed away peacefully Monday, January 4, 2016. Mary was born in Eagle Pass, TX on November 17, 1929. Mary worked as a waitress for many years in both Quakertown, PA and Cape May, NJ; where she met some great people and made lifelong friends. She moved from Quakertown to Cape May for the warmer weather where she enjoyed walks along the bay, meeting friends for a drink and hosting family and friends for summertime beach visits. She was a wonderful Mother to her five sons, who along with her grandchildren were her absolute pride and joy. Mary Potts is survived by three sons who loved her dearly: Robert & Rita Potts, Thomas & Pam McNesby, and James & Sheila. Grandchildren: Jason Tamburino & Lauren, Rachel Potts & Shayna Thompson, and Mary McNesby; Great-grandchildren: Daniel, Kendall, Kalista, & Kianna. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband William Potts and sons Daniel Potts & William Potts, Jr. Funeral service will be held privately with burial Hillside Cemetery, Roslyn, PA. Frances A. Sackman, 90, of Richlandtown, died Mon. Jan. 4th at Phoebe Richland. She was the wife of the late Charles Sackman. Born in Shenandoah, PA she was a daughter of the late Stanley and Anna (Regula) Kaszycki. Franny was a seamstress for many years at Eagle Shirtmakers in Quakertown. She enjoyed sewing and doing embroidery as a hobby, as well as playing bingo and visiting casinos. She is survived by her son, Robert Stone, wife Kathy; granddaughters Laurie McGrath, husband James, and Jen Hernaez, husband Ed; great grandchildren Siena, Kendall, E.J., and Jessica; brother Walter Kaszycki; and sister Delores Amey. Services will be private at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Franny’s name to Phoebe Nursing Center in Richlandtown, 108 S. Main St., Richlandtown, PA 18955. www.janauglefcs.com
Alvona H. Navarre, 84, of Quakertown, died Sat. Jan. 9 in St. Luke’s University Hospital. She was the widow of Jacques A. “Jack” Navarre. Born in Quakertown, she was a daughter of the late Raymond & Edith (Rothrock) Hassler. She was a 1949 graduate of Quakertown High School. Alvona and her husband owned and operated the former Cassel’s Food Market, Quakertown for over 25 years. Later, she worked at the former Triangle Lumber Co., H&R Block, and then operated a private tax preparation service until retiring. She was a member of the Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, Pennsburg. Surviving are her children, Jayne of Key West, FL, Alan, Quakertown, & Thomas Hontz, wife Denise of Coopersburg; grandchildren Jacqueline Gibson, husband Ryan and their son, Alvona’s great-grandson Wyatt and Bartholomew Asman; brother Ronald Hassler, wife Debbie of Pine Ridge, FL and sister, Faye Zimmerman, husband Rev. Lloyd of Chambersburg. She was predeceased by an infant son Phillip David. A memorial service will be held 11 AM Tues. Jan. 12 in the church, 2788 Geryville Pike, Pennsburg, Pa 18073. Interment in Quakertown Union Cemetery will be private. Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to the Upper Bucks SPCA or Lighthouse Christian Fellowship. Andrew Campbell, 55, of Quakertown, died Thurs. Jan. 14th at home. He was the loving husband of Cynthia Campbell for the last 24 years. Born in Philadelphia, he was a son of Ann (Ford) and the late John L. Campbell. He worked in Engineering and design for telecommunication and structural steel compa-
nies. Andrew was passionate about sports and music, playing ice hockey and softball, and the harmonica and guitar. “Dear Mr. Fantasy” was a favorite song of his to jam out to, and he and Cyndy enjoyed attending concerts. His favorite concert memory involved meeting and talking with Richie Havens. He also loved to be outside with nature, spending time admiring wildlife while hiking, gardening, going down the shore, and tearing up the slopes on his skis. He had no fear in his travels or endeavors. Above all else, he loved his daughter Erin. Everything he did was for her, and his favorite pastime was teaching and playing music with her. He enjoyed practicing soccer drills with Erin and attending her soccer matches, while cheering her on from the side lines. Surviving with his wife and his mother is his daughter, Erin Elizabeth; brother John Campbell; and sister Eileen Ent. He is preceded in death by his brother William Campbell. www.janauglefcs.com
Spencer Ritzen, 72, of Quakertown, died Sat. Jan. 16th at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest, Allentown. He was the husband of Desiree (Balum) Ritzen for 45 years. Born in Philadelphia, he was a son of the late Rubin and Mary Ritzen. He was an assistant vice president in charge of computer systems and programming for Fidelity Investments, Philadelphia. Surviving with his wife is his son, Shepard, wife Stacey of Philadelphia; brothers, Herbert Ritzen, wife Jean and Mitchell Ritzen, wife Shelley; sisters, Zelda Tuoni, Lois Biehl, husband Joe, and Debbie Klymowich, husband Tommy. He was predeceased by a sister, Jacqueline Izenberg. Services are private. Memorial contributions can be made to the Diabetic Youth Foundation, 5167 Clayton Rd., Suite F, Concord, CA 94521 or at dyf.org. www.janauglefcs.com
American Legion Post 242 Update BY DICK HELM Have you been to any of our special events or Sunday breakfasts that are open to the public? Please keep an eye on the marquee in front of our Post Home on East Broad Street. By attending any of these functions you are indirectly helping our Post in helping others. Speaking of helping others, I would like to outline how important that you, the general public, can help us to help our fellow Veterans. During the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War our country had many soldiers that voluntarily answered the call or were drafted into the service to perform their duties to our country. Today we have an all volunteer service and with this change we are finding that there are far less, in ratio, serving in the Armed Forces as enlistment times and establishing careers in the services has diminished the amount of returning veterans. As it is, service organizations such as the American Legion and the VFW’s are carrying less membership to help in the needs of our fellow veterans. The way that the general public can help is to take an active roll in your personal giving, church, or other organization in giving to the local food bank or providing help in the winter months towards “Code Blue” on bitter cold days. Code Blue is for the homeless in the area—YES there are homeless persons in Quakertown. You can help with free hot meals offered by local churches or finding organizations such as ours to make specific donations
to help those persons who need funds for heat in the winter or paying their taxes to keep a roof over their heads. In our case, we would be helping veterans who approach us for help; but other organizations such as churches would help all that are truly in need. Safeguards are taken insuring that the funds given go directly for the need given in most cases. One of the important “Pillars” of the American Legion is to help our fellow legionnaires thus helping those in need. We as well as others, such as churches and civic groups, strive to lesson the burden of basic needs of those “Down in their Luck” so that they and most important their children can improve their lifestyle to become productive members of society once again in our wonderful community. Winter is always the worst season for those in need—Please consider setting an amount aside to help in appeals from these groups to help those truly in need. You will sincerely be rewarded by helping others, even not knowing who they are, and knowing that someone is warm on those cold nights and had a nutritious meal to eat. Some child will be able to concentrate on studies and be able to go home to a home or apartment and not being in the back of a car on a parking lot. Thank you for your consideration in this matter and if your are interested in helping a veteran in need contact our post to find out how to give a donation specific for Veteran’s needs or give to the local food bank or code blue organization. Thank You and God Bless You!
~Obituaries~
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
15
Rev. Ann D. Lutz, Pastor Emeritus of First UCC
Rev. Anna Deppen Lutz, 86, of Lancaster died peacefully on January 9, 2016 at the Willow Valley Retirement Communities. Born near Dalmatia in Northumberland County, she was the daughter of Helen (Hepner) and Raymond Deppen. She was married for 51 years to Dr. Earlin H. Lutz, who predeceased her in 2001. A 1946 graduate of Lower Mahonoy Township High School, Rev. Lutz graduated in 1950 from Cedar Crest College in Allentown with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1970 she was the first woman to receive a Master of Divinity degree from Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem. She was ordained into the Christian ministry in June 1970. Rev. Lutz served First United Church of Christ in Quakertown for 30 years, starting as Director of Christian Education in 1964. Upon completion of her seminary degree in 1970, she was named Minister of Christian Education and also served as Co-Pastor with her husband from 1991 until their retirement in 1994. Rev. Lutz was also active in the wider church, her community, and at various academic institutions. From 1976 to 1980 she served as Vice-Moderator and then Moderator of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, currently comprised of 169 congregations. In addition, she served as Chairman of the Christian Education Committee and as Chairman of the Division of Church and Ministry for the Conference. Rev. Lutz also served as a member of the national
United Church Board for Homeland Ministries from 1975 to 1982. She was a delegate to the General Synod of the United Church of Christ. Rev. Lutz was a member and President of the Quakertown Area Ministerium, a member of the Quakertown Woman’s Club, and a member of the Pastoral Services Advisory Council for the Penn Foundation for Mental Health. She served on the Board of Trustees of Cedar Crest College, the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association of Moravian Theological Seminary, the Board of Trustees of the Lancaster Theological Seminary, and was a member of the Board of Managers of the Wyncote Church Home for the Aged. Rev. Lutz was a published author. Her poems have appeared in Ideals, sermons in Pulpit Digest, devotional materials in Church School Workers, These Days, and Living Faith; and articles in the Moravian Magazine. In 2006 a book collecting her poems, Greetings, was published. In 1983 Rev. Lutz was awarded the John Hus Award from Moravian Seminary for Excellence in Ministry and in 2010 received the Alumnae Award for Service to the College from Cedar Crest College. Rev. Lutz and her husband set-up numerous endowments at their alma maters. The Lutz Center for Community Service at Cedar Crest College is named in their honor Anna and Earlin Lutz are survived by their two children; Rebecca (Lutz) Keane married to William Keane and Dr. Earlin David Lutz married to Marilyn (Manning) Lutz; six grandchildren, Megan, Erin, Patrick, Melanie, David and Nathan; and three-great grandchildren, Robby, Daniel and Abigail. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dr. Earlin H. Lutz and Rev. Anna D. Lutz Endowment for Pastoral Ministry, First United Church of Christ, 151 South 4th St, Quakertown, PA 18951. janauglefcs.com
College Food Drive Feeds Hungry in Bucks County
Bucks County Community College employees recently collected and donated the equivalent of more than $6,600 in food and monetary gifts to the Bucks County Opportunity Council to be distributed, through its numerous food pantries, to those in need throughout the county. Helping to load donations to the BCOC’s truck at Bucks’ Newtown campus are college employees Steve Hicks, Mary Kuna, Carol Brandt, and Casey Grunmeier, joined by the Bucks County Opportunity Council’s Heather Foor and Tammy Schoonover.
The John Rivers VFW Post 11322 gives its heartfelt thanks to the following individuals and local businesses that purchased tree ornaments and made donations to make the Post’s 2nd Annual Christmas Tree of Memory and Honor a success! Mr & Mrs. Paul Gerhart, Jr. Casey Swinny Mr. & Mrs. Paul Gerhart, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. David Donley Mr. &Mrs. Jerry Sisian Tanya Pronkowitz Raymond Barnes Mrs.& Mrs. Shawn Trotter Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ross Mr. Randy Schwartz Mr. Larry Schwartz Mr. Mrs. Henry DePue, Jr. Mr.& Mrs. Scott McClree Mr. & Mrs. Jack Grove Mr. & Mrs. Frank Agostino Mr.& Mrs. John Ford Mr.& Mrs. John Daley Mrs. Amelia Ravert Mr. Kelly Carver Mr. John Goodman Mr. Tom Trenwith Mr. Conrad Reid
Mr. & Mrs. Marshall Franklin Mr.& Mrs. Paul Detweiler Mr. & Mrs. Ed Kreibick Mr. & Mrs. Dean Witt Mr. James Burns Children Mr. & Mrs. Justin Ruth Mr. & Mrs. Walt Orlowski Mr. Clarke Fulton Mrs. Sue Deily Mr. Jim Powell Mr. Matt Lampack Mr. & Mrs. Bob Christian Mrs. Wendy Bleam Ms. Lillian Smith Mr. Pete Mink Mr. Skip Fitzgerald Mr. Brian Schwartz Ms. Linda Schwartz JME Remodeling Wal-Mart Giant Food Stores
Weiss Food Markets Nase Kraft Post 255 Donley’s Gun Shop Anderson Lawn & Snow Service McDonalds Matt Donley United Integrity Group O’Grady’s Restaurant C & C Catering Pennridge Family Dentistry Home Depot McLaughlin Physical Therapy Friends of Sen. Bob Mensch Ecco Domani Fred Reith - Starlites Upper Bucks Free Press RHS Trucking Carl Hess Tattoos QNB Bank Lehigh Defense Swann’s Pantry
John Rivers VFW Post 11322 Update The John Rivers Veterans Center would like to thank those businesses and individuals that sponsored a Christmas ornament for our 2nd Christmas Tree of Memory and Honor. The ornaments were on display at our annual Christmas gathering that was on December 17th. The businesses Anderson Lawn and Snow Service, Matt Donley Marketing, and Donley’s Gun Shop were present to enjoy the day. Those students that won awards for the Patriots Pen and Voice of Democracy received their monetary awards at the Christmas gathering. The Voice of Democracy winner was 1st place winner Leo Bernabei. The Patriots Pen winners were 1st Kristen O’Connor, 2nd Julia Roberts, 3rd Mathew Bernabei, 4th Gregory Rowe and 5th place was James Mikulski. Thanks to all the students that entered the es-
say contests.The Post would like thank those individuals that took the time to read and judge the essays. On December 19th members of the post delivered some Holiday Spirit to around eighty Veterans in the local nursing homes. Each member gets a Christmas bag which contains some hygiene items and a Lap Blanket or a blanket. The lap blankets were made by various people. Thank you to those for their time and talent that made them. The Veterans Center would like to thank those individuals and businesses that donated items to help support some veterans and their families over Christmas. It is always nice to see a smile when we can help support a Veteran and their family. Commander Paul Gerhart, Jr.
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
Loving Our Collections Love is one of the most common reasons why we collect objects or hand down objects. Objects come with emotions. Most people will not part with a particular item or group of items if they were handed down or amassed by a loved one, family member or friend. I feel this way about my father’s nutcracker collection and my mother’s canister set. I wouldn’t part with them no matter what! And when someone stops collecting or is no longer able to collect, sometimes the collection is handed down. If you can retain a collection for the long term, historically, that collection will increase in value over time. So, hold onto the collection if you can. And, add to the collection when you can and start to familiarize yourself with the collection by learning about its history and market value. For many, the love of collecting is not only commonplace but it is also comforting. At other times, a collection can be a burden and present new problems. When a collection comes to you from a deceased loved one, the situation may prove difficult. For instance, when Frank, a longtime collector of duck decoys passed away his collection became the property and project of his widow. Like most widows of collectors, Irene was happy that Frank enjoyed the process of collecting throughout their marriage. Now, with no children or interested relatives to take over the collection, Irene is left in a quandary. She doesn’t want the duck decoys. Reason #1 is that she can’t bear to display the duck decoys as they prompt heartache. The emotional collection reminds Aunt Irene of Frank’s passing. Reason #2 is the overwhelming number of duck decoys now stacked in the basement. Also, the vast collection is unfamiliar to Aunt Irene, a non-collector. She can’t identify the decoys’ sculptors, she can’t identify the regional characteristics of each decoy, and she is uninformed
and at the mercy of anyone with information about decoys and their market value. She knows these buyers may take advantage of her. She realizes that auctions may not be the best place to sell the collection because Frank got many of his best decoy bargains by buying at auctions. If a buyer at an auction is getting a bargain then the person selling the decoy at auction must have lost money on the transaction. Since Irene can’t tell one wooden duck from another, she begins to worry. She doesn’t like the idea of having strangers come into the house to make her an offer on the decoys. She doesn’t know what a good offer looks like, either. If someone wants to make a killing on this collection and buy it for a song, she is in a vulnerable position. Now, Irene doesn’t know how or if she should get into the market and she doesn’t want to keep the collection. Like many other families of collectors, Irene never thought she’d be left alone with this vast collection. Tips for this common collecting problem include choose one or two favorite decoys to keep as a remembrance in honor of Frank’s years of collecting, get an appraisal from an appraiser who does not have any financial interest in the decoys—doesn’t want to sell them, doesn’t want to buy them. Be prepared to pay that appraiser for their expertise and time. Ask the appraiser to tell you the retail value of the decoy collection, not an auction value or insurance value of the collection. Take some time to consider the market information and then make a decision about how you will act. Don’t be hasty. Get information so you can make a good decision. Dr. Lori Verderame
is an antiques appraiser,
nationally syndicated columnist and author, and award-winning
TV personality on Discovery’s Auction Kings and FOX Business Network’s Strange Inheritance. With a Ph.D. from Penn State University and experience appraising 20,000 antiques every year, Dr. Lori presents antique appraisal events and helps clients evaluate collections. Visit www.DrLoriV.com or call (888) 431-1010.
It is About Time!
What I mean by this title is that I have finally been able to let go of some personal feelings that I have been having in my life in relation to someone in my life. I normally do not share personal things and I will not go into depth about the situation; however I wanted to write about it because I feel that it is so important. It relates to the concept of “letting go” and how hard that can be for us to do. In all of my writings I talk about how things take time and that we can not make ourselves feel a certain or different way even if we wish that we could. I believe there are some things that happen in our life that are sometimes deeper than we realize and that once we can figure out what that is or why it is that we are holding onto something we can not “let it go” completely. I feel nothing but gratitude at this moment because I had an epiphany before the end of the holidays and was able to understand what I was doing and why? I have always known on some level but emotionally I still felt the need to hold on even though it was negative and not good for me. The problem was I couldn’t make myself change these feelings until enough time had passed and I healed from what happened. I am not sure if that made any sense and I hope that it does for you. What is interesting is that I have been talking about it, praying about it,
writing about it and living my life the best I could. It took me watching two different movies to realize what I was doing and that I needed to “let it go”. It was an extremely powerful and empowering experience. Once I made the decision and talked about it with someone, the very next day I felt better and no longer was carrying those negative feelings around. I know this may sound kind of crazy but for those that work a program or are spiritually connected I am sure get this concept. For several months all I have been saying is that I am not myself that this experience changed me some for the positive but some for the negative which is what I was holding onto. I am back to feeling like myself. I don’t feel so stuck anymore. I feel amazing. I feel nothing but relief and joy. It felt like such a huge burden had been lifted. And although I have been working on letting it go, I knew that one day everything would fall into place and I would be free!! The key I believe is that I was always open to the process and I trusted and believed that eventually I would feel better and truly be able to “let it go”. It is funny not really but one of my closest friend would say to me just let it go but I kept saying it wasn’t that easy and if I could I would but I just couldn’t and it would happen when it was supposed to happen. I wanted to share this story with you because I was given a gift and I wanted to share this gift with you. As long as we want to be well and
we want to be free of what is holding us back we will be able to as happy as we want to be and for me it is about being balanced!! So I am more happy again. Despite this experience I was still happy with things in my life and how things were going I was just little “off” per say. As I said earlier, Nothing but Gratitude. Letting go allows so much more good to fall into my life. So Life is Good. So whatever
you do: Do not give up on feeling better and letting go because eventually your time will come! Trust me! My belief is that “all persons are truly greater than they think they are.” Susan V. Brewer is a Certified Life Coach and Psychotherapist in the Upper Bucks County Area. She can be reached at 215-872-4219. Visit her website at www.balancelife4u.com.
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
17
Where Can I Get my UBFP?
QUAKERTOWN Aamco American Heritage FCU A-Plus Mini Market Borough Hall Beer City Classic Staffing Chick Fil-A Dairy Queen Dominick’s Pizza Earl Bowl Lanes First Savings Bank First UCC Church The Free Press Bldg. Giant Markets (309/313) The Grundy House Hampton Inn Holiday Inn Express Independence Court James Michener Library JoAnne’s Frame Shop John’s Plain & Fancy Let’s Steep (Q-Mart) Liberty Thrift Store McCoole’s Red Lion Inn McDonalds Moyer’s Shoes Pep Boys Philly Soft Pretzel Factory Quaker Cleaners Q’town Family Restaurant QNB Bank
Quaker Cleaners Redner’s Market Rep. Craig Staats’ office Roma Pizza Sal’s Pizza Randa Sine’s 5 & 10 St. Luke’s Bone & Joint Inst. St. Luke’s Hospital Swann’s Pantry The Souper Bowl (Q-Mart) Tom’s Help Desk Top Star Express (Exxon) Upper Bucks Senior Ctr Upper Bucks SPCA Upper Bucks YMCA Upper Bucks Chamber Wells Fargo Bank Yum Yum Donuts TRUMBAUERSVILLE Borough Hall Christ Lutheran Church Fino’s La Cantina Spor’s General Store RICHLANDTOWN Seven-Eleven First Savings Bank SPINNERSTOWN Spinnerstown Hotel E J’s Barber Shop PLEASANT VALLEY Country Kitchen
SELLERSVILLE A & N Diner Grandview Hospital Hidden Meadows Roy Ann Diner PERKASIE Dam Good Cafe Giant Food Markets Landis Food Markets Olde Towne Convenience Pennridge Chamber Pierce Library QNB Bank TELFORD Indian Valley Library Landis Supermarket SOUDERTON Care & Share Shoppes SILVERDALE Green Street Barber Shop OTTSVILLE NAPA of Ottsville COOPERSBURG Coopersburg Diner Giant Food Markets The Inside Scoop QNB Bank Turkey Hill Market Last Chance Ranch Store SPRINGTOWN Reflections Hair Studio Village Center Automotive
The answers to the puzzles on this page are found elsewhere in this issue.
Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.
Gene Luen Yang
– the 2016-2018 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Every two years, the Library of Congress selects a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. According to the Library of Congress’ website, the purpose of this post is to “raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.” Some requirements for being selected as an ambassador include being an author, a US citizen, and a great communicator. The person must be charismatic, and have made a “substantial contribution to young people’s literature” as defined by the Library of Congress. Gene Luen Yang has just been named as the new Ambassador. He will be serving for two years, and promoting children’s literature and reading while doing so. What is exciting about this year’s nominee is that Mr. Yang is the first comic artist to be awarded the title. I am a huge proponent of the benefits of comics and graphic novels. After all, I taught myself how to read at an early age through reading Marvel Kids. I am very happy to see a comic artist be recognized like this. A graduate of University of California, Berkeley, Mr. Yang is known for his comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels. His most popular writings include “American Born Chinese”, and “Boxers & Saints” graphic novels. Boxers & Saints, a two-book series, is a retelling of the Boxer Rebellion in China are two of the best graphic novels I have read.
Mr. Yang also pushes his readers into new experiences by teaching while entertaining. His graphic novel “Secret Coders” is a story but the reader “secretly” learns basic coding as they go through the story. Yang’s writing style injects thought provoking themes in his books that make you think hard about yourself. One thing I really enjoy about his writing is that his characters have universal appeal. I will be seeking out more of his books as soon as I can get my hands on them. The purpose of the Ambassador is to raise awareness of reading and great kids excited about reading. Each Ambassador picks a theme that reflects the message they want to put out to the nation’s young readers. The last Ambassador, Kate DiCamillo, emphasized how reading brings people together with her “Stories Connect Us” theme. Mr. Yang has named his platform as “Reading Without Walls.” He wants us to read outside of our comfort zone by picking up a book that you wouldn’t normally read. Look for books in a different genre or a character you share nothing in common with. Maybe even try a graphic novel! In addition to being the face of Children’s Literature in the United States for the next two years, Mr. Yang will appear at Children’s Book Week in New York in May and the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. in September. To learn more about the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, visit the Library of Congress’ website at Read.gov. For more on books and reading, go to ThisKidReviewsBooks.Com!
ASPIRIN BALL BALLOON BUBBLE BUTTON CANTALOUPE COINS COOKIES
DOUGHNUT DVD ECLIPSE EGG GLOBE GRAPE GRAPEFRUIT
MARBLE MONOCLE MOON ORANGE PIZZA PLANET PLATE POLKADOT
RING SUN SUNDIAL TIRE WHEEL YOYO ZERO
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • February 2016
BCOC Receives $15,000 Grant from Leo and Peggy Pierce Foundation The Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC) received a $15,000 grant from the Leo and Peggy Pierce Family Foundation for our Keeping Food Fresh Initiative that will supply 18 food pantries in Bucks County with refrigerators. The goal of the project is to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables the pantries can acquire, store and distribute to their clients. Presently, through the BCOC’s Food Program and its partners, Rolling Harvest Food Rescue, the United Way of Bucks County and Delaware Valley University’s Hope of the Harvest charitable garden, low income clients who come to the pantries now have fresh fruit and vegetables available to them. However, many pantries have limited refrigeration space, so they can only store small amounts of produce at a time. This project will help the pantries increase the amount of fresh produce donations that they can accept.
“Our donations of fresh fruits and vegetables have been growing over the last few years,” explained Heather Foor, Food Program Manager for BCOC. “We are thankful for this opportunity to expand our pantry infrastructure to be able to offer more healthy options to families visiting pantries in Bucks County.” “The Leo and Peggy Pierce Foundation is proud to partner with the Bucks County Opportunity Council. Providing philanthropic support to BCOC’s Keeping Food Fresh Initiative to increase access to fresh, nutritious produce through their network of local food pantries is a big step forward to help reduce food insecurity in our region,” said Hannah Schlesinger, Administrator/Grants Manager of the Leo and Peggy Pierce Family Foundation. For more information about the BCOC’s Food Program, call 215-345-8175 ext. 213.
United Friends School Celebrates MLK with Historian Dr. Gunkel
Dr. Gunkel demonstrates how traditional African textiles were worn by wrapping UFS student Maddie Williams in the cloth. Each year, students at United Friends pointing out symbols and messages hidden in School, Quakertown, celebrate Martin Luther the quilt patterns and designs. King Day as a Day of Service. A Day On not a Dr. Gunkel earned her Ph.D. in Folklore Day Off. From preschool to 8th grade, students and Folklife from the University of engage in activities on and off campus that in- Pennsylvania and currently teaches at Manor clude cooking for soup kitchens, visiting with College and Penn Alexander Charter School. the elderly, helping with material aid projects, As a Commonwealth Speaker for the PA cleaning, organizing, and much more. Humanities Council, Dr. Gunkel travels stateThis year, UFS was honored to host Dr. Cassandra Stancil Gunkel for a presentation wide to lecture about history and art. She has on Quilts in the African American tradition presented and published widely on topics such and the role quilts played in the Underground as quilting, food traditions, and folklore. Her Railroad. Displaying her impressive collection commitment to teaching and serving the comof quilts, Dr. Gunkel shared traditions from munity is evident in her service to museums and several countries, cultures and time periods, historical societies throughout Pennsylvania.
Brrrrrr!
Winter weather has finally arrived. We were unseasonably warm into early January, but we all knew the cold was coming! Here are a few winter gardening activities to benefit your garden and your waistline. Perennials and Trees: Believe it not, it’s a good time to apply a 1-2 inch layer of mulch around your perennials and trees. The mulch not only looks great, but helps preserve moisture for the roots of perennials and trees in cold weather. It also protects them from the damaging freeze and thaw conditions often present in our zone 6 winters. Hopefully, you’ve saved some shredded leaves or bagged mulch for this purpose. Be careful not to cover the plant’s crown, or the root flare of trees. This prevents rotting and discourages critters. Turf Grass: If you are in need of lime, you can get some help from Mother Nature by applying it now. The freezing and thawing process helps to work the lime into the soil. Of course, don’t apply lime unless you’ve done a soil test first because you could be wasting your time and money. If you’re unsure, perform a soil test when the ground thaws. The test kit is available through Penn State Extension Bucks County for only $9.00. Lime can be applied at any time of year. Pruning: Many evergreens and summer-flowering shrubs and trees can be pruned in late winter. Only plants that bloom on new growth should be pruned at this time (ie: beautyberry, crape myrtle, redtwig dogwood, euonymous, holly and arborvitae). Spring bloomers should not be pruned at this time as they bloom on old growth and removal of branches can remove blossoms (ie: forsythia, lilac, azalea, mock-orange, rhododendrons and spring/summer blooming hydrangea). One of the most common questions the Master Gardeners get is from home gardeners who want to know why their hydrangea isn’t blooming. They ask what fertilizer to use, or if there’s an insect issue affecting hydrangea. Our first question to these homeowners is “Did you prune it in the fall or winter?” Garden Catalogs and Seed-starting: Nothing warms up a dreary winter day like perusing garden catalogs. It’s time to find out what’s new in the gardening world. If you’d like to try your hand at growing from seed, now’s the time to order – the catalogs often sell out of the popular seed varieties. If you’ve never grown from seed before, it’s a fun way to take away the winter doldrums! And you don’t have to purchase expensive supplies. All you need is good quality seed, seed-starting “soilless” mix, a container, some plastic
wrap and a warm place to incubate your seeds. Disposable plastic food containers or egg cartons work well. Most seed-starting mixes have basic instructions on the bag. Of course you can always purchase a seed-starting kit, too. When choosing seeds, refer to the seed manufacturer’s recommended indoor planting times. Keep in mind that in Bucks County our last frost date is mid to late May. That’s when you can transplant your seedlings outdoors. We’ll have more detail on seed-starting in the March article,so stay tuned! Valentine Floral Gifts: If you’re lucky, February may bring a Valentine plant or fresh flower arrangement. Most plants will come with a tag that describes optimal growing conditions. Pay special attention to light requirement and watering needs. For fresh cut flowers, you may have read that sugar syrup, a touch of bleach or a commercial flower preservative will help keep them looking fresh, but what really works is simply a fresh vase of water daily. Also, cutting stems on the diagonal before placing them in water is beneficial, particularly with roses. It’s not necessary to cut the stems under water. This time of year is also great to bring your winter-blooming plants into your living area. My orange kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) is blooming profusely and brightening up my dining room table. Outdoor Activities: Find outdoor activities in your local newspaper. February and March are sugar maple-tapping months and many local parks in Bucks and Montgomery Counties have demonstrations that include sampling the delicious made-on-site syrup with waffles or pancakes. (If that doesn’t get you outside, nothing will!) Winter garden walks are also offered, where you can appreciate the architectural “bones” of a garden you normally enjoy in other seasons. Or just enjoy your local park. There’s a new park at 4th and Mill streets in Quakertown that offers pedestrian- friendly and handicapped-accessible paved trails. However you cope with our February weather, find ways to enjoy it, too. Seasonal change is what makes our area special – and makes us yearn and plan for outdoor gardening weather! Even though gardening season is on winter hiatus, you can still send us your questions by email or regular mail: “Ask a Master Gardener” Penn State Extension Bucks County Neshaminy Manor Center 1282 Almshouse Rd Doylestown, PA 18901 Email: BucksHotline@ag.psu.edu Please mention that you heard about us in the Upper Bucks Free Press!
Renewable Energy Topic at Penn State Extension Annual Meeting
The annual meeting of Penn State Extension in Montgomery County will take place on Friday, February 19, 2016 at the Dublin Fire Company, Rickert Road & Rt. 313, Dublin. John Urbanchuk, Professor at Delaware Valley University, will be speaking on “Renewable Energy Sources for the Future.” The meeting will also feature the presentation of several awards to 4-H members and volunteers. The cost of the meeting is $18 for
adults and $8.50 for youth ages 4-10. Children under age 4 are free of charge. The cost includes the family style roast beef dinner and dessert. The public is welcome to attend this educational meeting and registration is required. To register, go to http://extension.psu.edu/annual-meeting/bucks or call the Extension office at 215-345-3283. Deadline for registration is February 12, 2016. Registration is limited.
February 2016 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
Services Antique Dealer Antiques at 200 East Auto Repair Wolf’s Garage Bank QNB Bank* Banquet Facility West End Fire Company Barber Shop Modern Male Beauty Salon Classic Hair Designs* Car Wash 309 Hand Car Wash & Detail Shop Children’s Daycare Upper Bucks YMCA Dry Cleaner Swan’s* Framing Joanne’s Frame Shop & Gallery Fuel Oil Boyle’s Heating & Cooling Funeral Home C.R. Strunk Funeral Home, Inc.* Garden Center Brick’s Garden Center* Lodging Holiday Inn Express* Gas Station Wawa* Insurance Brunner Insurance Inc* Landscaping B & H Lawn & Landscape* Pre-school Quakertown Christian Photography Michele Buono Plumber George the Plumber* Realtor Mark Somers Retirement Community Independence Court*
Senior Citizen Center Upper Bucks Senior Ctr.* Travel Agency BarMar Travel* Workout / Exercise Upper Bucks YMCA*
Food & Drink American Fare McCoole’s Red Lion Inn* Bakery Yum Yum Beverage/Beer Beer City Chinese Fare Eastern Dragon* Diner Quakertown Family Restaurant Fast Food Chick Fil A - Quakertown Fine Dining McCoole’s Red Lion Inn* Hoagies/Steaks Frank’s Pizza Ice Cream Quakertown Dairy Queen Italian Fare Dominick’s Japanese Fare Eastern Dragon* Mexican Fare Fiesta Habanero Pizza Sal’s Pizza Randa* Seafood Captain Bob’s* Soft Pretzels Philly Pretzel Factory*
Medical Chiropractor Ridge Chiropractic Dentist Quakertown Family Dental Eye Doctor Pennridge Family Eye Care
Family Doctor Upper Bucks Family Medical Hospital St. Luke’s Hospital* Pediatrician Adriana Moise, M.D.* Pharmacy CVS*
Recreation Art Gallery Joanne’s Frame Shop and Gallery* Bar/Tavern The Proper Brewing Co. Golf Course Fox Hollow Library James Michener Library* Live Theater Sellersville Theater* Movie Theater Regal Cinemas* Museum Sellersville Museum* Nature Center Nockamixon State Park Outdoor Park Quakertown Memorial Park
Pets Animal Hospital Quakertown Veterinary Clinic* Dog Park Perkasie Dog Park* Dog Training Molasses Creek* Doggy Daycare Camp Jean’s Pet Groomer Xavier @ Pets Plus Pet Supplies Pet Smart* Rescue/Shelter Bucks County SPCA* Veterinarian Milford Veterinary Clinic
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Shopping Arts and Crafts Michael’s Books Barnes & Noble Bridal All Things Bridal* Automobile Dealer Ciocca Ford Carpet/Flooring Lowes* Computers Tom’s Help Desk* Consignment Rethread Consignments Department Store Kohl’s* Thrift Shop Liberty Thrift* Electronics Best Buy* Eyewear Pearl Vision Formal Wear Fischer’s Tuxedo* Furniture Ashley Furniture Gifts Norman’s Hallmark* Health Food/Organic To Your Health* Home Improvement Lowes* Jeweler H.C. Kulp Jewelers* Motorcycles Scott’s Power Sports* Pools & Spas Pool Pro* Shoes Moyer’s Shoes* Sporting Goods Schuylkill Valley Sports* Supermarket Giant* Tires K & S Tire
(*) = also our 2015 winner
Congratulations also to Kathy Kutt of Quakertown who was the lucky voter to win $50 to spend at one of our advertisers. She chose The Proper Brewing Company.
Shop Local, Earn Rewards!
Build a Strong Community One Point at a Time Learn more at buzzpoints.com/qnb
QNB
Yo u r C o m m u n i t y B a n k
Call: 215-538-5600 Click: www.qnbbank.com Visit: Any of our 11 convenient locations in Colmar, Coopersburg, Dublin, Pennsburg, Perkasie, Quakertown, Souderton, Warminster & Wescosville