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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
What’s Going On in Upper Bucks? March 4
Estate Sale/Indoor Yard Sale 7:30am4pm at West End Fire Co, 1319 Park Ave, Quakertown. All kinds of stuff including 300+ Longaberger items. Info: 267-718-1710 Reading Goes to the Dogs 2pm-3:30pm at Quakertown Library, 401 W Mill St. Children come read to certified therapy dogs. 215-536-3306 St. Isidore’s Live/Silent & Basket Auction 6pm-11pm, St. Patty’s theme, live music. $30/ adv tkts include food, soft drinks, margaritas, beer. $35/door. 603 W Broad St, Quakertown. 215-536-6052 or stisidoreschool.com/auction John Denver Tribute by Ted Vigil w/live band, doors open 7pm at Tylersport Firehouse, 125 Ridge Rd. $40/adv, $45/door. BYOB, food avail. to buy. Tkts: Mark 610-287-4467 Casino Night Benefit 6:30pm-10pm at Benner Hall, Quakertown. $40/person, catered, raffle prizes. Info/tkts: 215-801-9369 St. Patrick’s Day Party for Preemies (for Lily’s Hope) at McCoole’s Red Lion Inn, Quakertown. $75/adult, $35/child, Semi Formal Attire. 5pm Cocktails, 6pm Program, Dinner & Dancing. 267-776-HOPE
March 5
Breakfast 8am-1pm at Springtown Firehouse, 3010 Rte 212, Springtown. $7/adult, $4/ages 5-8, free age 4 and under. Sunday Breakfast 8am-1pm at Telford Borough Hall, Penn Ave, Telford. $8, $4/kids. Tricky Tray calling begins 1:30pm, (open 12noon), $5/admiss. Food avail. Riegelsville Fire Co, 333 Delaware Rd. 908-763-3079 Penny Party 1:30pm at St. Luke’s Church, 20 Church Rd, Hellertown. $2/number, kitchen open, info 610-838-0897
March 6 to 11
WHY KNOT! WEEK 9am-9pm daily. Volunteers needed for knotting/binding of comforters for needy around the world. Meals/snacks provided. West Swamp Mennonite, 2501 Allentown Rd, Quakertown. 215-536-7468 or westswamp1@verizon.net
March 8
St. Patty’s Day Party w Joe Vitale 11:30am at UB Activity Ctr, 2183 Milford Sq Pike, Quakertown, ($12 lunch/party) ($6 party only), rsvp by 3/3. Upperbucksac.com or 215-536-3066
March 9
“Petticoats & Pickets: Women’s Role in the Civil War” 7:30pm at Zlock Performing Arts Ctr, BCCC, 275 Swamp Rd, Newtown. Tkts/$5, free w/student ID. bucks.edu/live or 215-968-8087
March 11
Flapjack Fundraiser 8am-10am at Applebee’s in Quakertown. All-U-Can-Eat pancakes & sausage. Tkts: $7/adult, $4/child. Basket Auction! Supports lastchanceranch.org
Outdoorsman Expo 8am-3pm at Quakertown Fire Co, 5th & W Broad Sts. Details: Jim 215-538-3755
March 11 & 12
St. Patrick’s Day Giveaway at 2pm. Quakertown Farmers Mkt, 201 Station Rd.
March 12
Daylight Saving Time
begins
All-U-Can-Eat Breakfast Buffet 8am12:30pm at Richland Twp Fire & Rescue, 64 Shelly Rd, Quakertown. $7/adults, $6/seniors, $3/ages 6-10. All-U-Can-Eat Breakfast 8am-12noon at Silverdale Fire Co, 111 W Main St. $7/adults, $4.50/kids Vera Bradley w/a touch of Coach Bingo 1pm (open 11:30am) at West End Fire Co, 1319 Park Ave, Quakertown. $20/adv, $25/ door. Tkts: mrupert55@hotmail.com or 215-538-7817 Cash Bingo 1pm at Eastern Upper Bucks Seniors, 8040 Easton Rd, Ottsville. $15, lunch available, door opens 12noon. 610-847-8178 Basket Bingo 11am-3pm (open 10am) at Perkasie Firehouse, 5th & Arch Sts. Food for purchase. Order tkts: 484-300-9551 Upper Black Eddy Fire Co Breakfast cancelled. Info: ubefire.com
March 13
AARP Meeting 1:30pm-3pm at Upper Bucks Activity Ctr, 2183 Milford Sq Pike, Quakertown. Speaker: PA General Office about Senior Crime Prevention, 215-536-3066
March 15
UB Small Business EXPO & Conference 12noon-4pm at Bucks Co Community College, Perkasie Campus. Info/regis: ubcc.org/events, 215-536-3211 “A Life of My Own: meeting Eleanor Roosevelt” Linda Kenyon channels one of our most celebrated & outspoken First Ladies. 7pm at Quakertown Library, 401 W Mill St, Quakertown Quakertown Arby’s Benefit, 4pm-8pm. % of sales goes to Quakertown Food Pantry
March 16
FREE First Time Homebuyer Seminar 6pm at QNB’s Towne Bank Ctr, 320 W Broad St, Quakertown. A light dinner will also be provided. Limited seating, RSVP 215-538-5600 x5634 or x5767
March 17
St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon Bash 11:30am at Encore, 312 Alumni Ave, Harleysville. Cost: $10, regis. by March 7. Wear your green! 215-256-6900 14th Annual O’Chocolotta 6:30pm-10pm, DeSales University Ctr, 2755 Station Ave, Center Valley. $85, Live/silent auctions, raffle, food, open bar, chocolate desserts. Info: ubymca.org or 215-536-YMCA BC Down Syndrome Fundraiser/Silent Auction, open 6pm, auction 7pm at Uptown Hall, 831 Avenue D, Langhorne PA. Tkts/ info: Megan MASLACK21@gmail.com BYOB/BYOF ($25/age 13+, $10/age 7-12
March 18
St. Patrick’s Parade & Celtic Fest starts 11am at Pennridge Middle School to Main St in Sellersville & ends at Sellersville Fire Co Picnic Grove 12noon-4pm. Lots of activities! pennridgecc@pennridge.com Hoagie Sale 9am-12noon or sold out. (Downtown QNB, 15 N 3rd St, Quakertown) or (Country Sq. QNB, 240 S West End Blvd, Quakertown) $5/Italian or Turkey. Order: 215-536-1983 or Lion Club Member Spring Vaccine Clinic 10am-3pm at Richlandtown Firehouse, 125 S Main St. Low cost animal vaccines/services. Sponsored by lastchanceranch.org Annual All-U-Can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner 4pm-8pm at Quakertown HS Cafeteria, Park Ave & 5th St. Continuous music provided by HS Students. Tkts at door or ordered from Band/Choir mbrs. Qmpo.org “Murder At The Malt Shop” Dinner Theater, 5pm-9pm at The Meadows, 1770 Meadows Rd, Hellertown. $65/pp, benefits CDP, visit The Quakertown Rotary Facebook page for more details. Atwater-Donnelly Duo (Amer/Celtic Folk music) at Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehous, 320 W Chestnut St, Perkasie. Doors open 7pm. Tkt prices vary by age, under 13 is free. Info: PerkMenno.net/coffeehouse Gift Basket Bingo 1pm ($20) at DeSales Univ. Hurd Science Ctr, 2755 Station Ave, Center Valley, 484-241-6474
March 18 & 19
“Broadway Melody” (Sat 7:30pm at Trinity Lutheran, 19 S 5th St, Perkasie) (Sun 4pm at St. Mark’s Lutheran, 81 Main St, Pennsburg), Free Will Offering 484-932-8301 valchor.com
March 19
Ott’s Live Auction 12noon at Quakertown Farmers Mkt, Dept #201, 201 Station Rd. 215-536-4115 Harley’s Haven Charity Vendor Bingo 12noon-5pm at Tylersport Fire Co, 125 W Ridge Rd. 18 games, great shopping. $5/adm. fee, $1/bingo round. Jamie: 215-669-2041, facebook.com/jandacharitybingo “J.C. Woodworking” Springfield His. Soc. free program 2pm at Trinity Lutheran, 2165 Rte 212, (GPS Coopersburg.) Unusual, unique artifacts from historic barns & homes. Details: Tom 484-308-1510 Designer Bag Bingo 1pm at Milford Fire Hall, 2185 Milford Sq Pike, Quakertown. BYOB, food available for purchase. $25/ tkt. Info/tkts: B_Burke182@gmail.com or 215-536-3066
March 20 March 22
Spring
begins
“Covered Bridges of Bucks Co” 7:30pm at Hilltown Twp Bldg, Rte 152 & 13 W Creamery Rd, Silverdale. Free, donations accepted, 267614-9174, Hilltown Twp Historical Society
March 23
“Terrific Turtles” (for ages 3-6), 1pm2:15pm at Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy in Schwenksville. Info: Linda 610-287-9383, perkiomenwatershed.org FREE First Time Homebuyer Seminar 6pm at QNB Office, 51 S Third St, Coopersburg. A light dinner will also be provided. Limited seating, RSVP 215-538-5600 x5634 or x5767
March 24
Government Affairs Breakfast Buffet Meeting 8am at J. T. Bankers, 309 S Main St, Sellersville. $25/mbr, $30/non-mbr. RSVP by 3/21 to reserve. Register at pennridgecc@ pennridge.com or 215-257-5390 “Quiet Living in a Loud World” 7pm-9pm at Perkasie Mennonite Church, 320 W Chestnut. Story-telling, food samples, discussion. Free community event, PerkMenno.org Designer Bag Bingo 7pm (open 6pm) at Trumbauersville Fire Co, 142 N Main St. $20/ adv, $25/door. Kitchen open.. Tkts: Carolann 267-374-7762, bucks58fire.com QYBA 12u Cooperstown Team Designer Bag Bingo, 7pm, door open 6pm, at Benner Hall, 1260 E Cherry Rd, Quakertown. Tkts $25, Stephanie 215-518-4301 or kauffman@hotmail.com
March 25
Easter Bunny Pictures 9am-2pm at Milford Twp Fire Co, 2185 Milford Sq Pike, Quakertown Knit & Crochet for Charity meets 10am12noon at St. John’s Lutheran, 19 S 10th St, Quakertown. All are welcome. Info: Kathie 215-536-3593 or stjohnsquak@verizon.net Free Shredder Event in Quakertown Farmers Mkt parking lot 12noon-2pm, 201 Station Rd. 215-536-4115 WWWA Wrestling 6:30pm at Quakertown Farmers Mkt, Dept #201, 201 Station Rd. 215-536-4115
March 26
Low Cost Vaccine/Microchip/Heartworm Preventive Clinic 12noon-2pm at Hometown Pet Ctr, 201 N Main St, Coopersburg. (Logan’s Heroes 484-719-7101) Designer Purse Bingo at Dublin Fire Co, Rte 313 & Rickert Rd. Doors open 11:30am. Light lunch avail. by Ladies Aux. Tkt info at 215249-9242.Info: 215-536-1998
March 27
Keystone Quilters Mtg, Quakertown Christian Sch, 50 E Paletown Rd, Qtown. $5/ guests, open 6:30pm, keystonequilters.org (Bethanne Nemesh, whitearborquilting.com)
March 31
“An Evening w/Devon Still” 7pm at Dock Mennonite Academy, 1000 Forty Foot Rd, Lansdale. (General adm $10), (VIP Pre-Event Dinner, Meet & Greet $30), Order at indcreek.org or 267-203-1500 x307
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
Have something to share with your community? Send us the details!
info@ubfp.org • fax: 215-839-3421 UBFP • 582 S. West End Blvd • Quakertown, PA 18951
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
LLC: Is It Right For Your Business?
BY ROBERT E. FRAVEL, ESQ.
Limited Liability Companies, or “LLC’s” are becoming increasingly popular in today’s business industry due to the protection offered to the LLC members and the favorable tax treatment. An LLC qualifies for pass through taxation much like a partnership, but neither the members nor the managers are personally liable for the obligations of the company or for the “acts or omissions of any other member, manager, agent or employee of the company” [15 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§8921(b), 8922(a)]. How is an LLC formed? Well for starters, any number of people may organize an LLC, and neither of them is required to be an owner. The next step is to file a certificate of organization with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Unless otherwise specified in the certificate of organization, the filing date is the LLC creation date. The next step to creating a fully functional LLC, is to draft and execute an operating agreement. While not formally required by law, having a well-drafted, comprehensive operating
agreement is the single most important aspect of LLC creation. The operating agreement governs how the business of the LLC is to be handled. Needless to say, the operating agreement should reflect how the members intend to run their business and the overall business philosophies. Should a business dispute arise among the members of an LLC without a written operating agreement, it will be up to a judge to attempt to interpret the intentions of the members. Leaving a decision of that magnitude to an individual with no personal dealings with the business is simply dumb. Make sure your LLC has a written operating agreement in place from the start. Consulting with an experienced business law attorney in the beginning can save you thousands of dollars down the road, and can prevent potential disputes from ever happening. Robert E. Fravel, Esq. is a solo practitioner in Dublin, Pennsylvania who specializes in estate planning & administration, family law and business law. You can contact him at (267) 227-9138 or ref@fravel-law.com.
Plan for Health Care Costs During Retirement
When you retire, some of your expenses may go down – but health care is not likely to be one of them. In fact, your health care costs during retirement may well increase, so you may want to plan for these costs well before you leave the work force. How much can you expect to spend on health care during your retirement years? Consider these statistics: • A 65-year-old couple who retired in 2016 will need about $288,000 (in today’s dollars) during retirement just to pay Medicare Parts B, D and supplemental insurance, according to HealthView Services, a company that provides health care cost projections for financial services firms. If out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, co-pays, hearing, vision and dental are included, the lifetime figure rises to about $377,000 in today’s dollars. • The national average for a private room in a nursing home is more than $92,000 per year, according to a survey by Genworth, an insurance company. And the services of a home health aide cost more than $45,000 per year, according to the same survey. Medicare typically pays very little of these costs. To cope with these expenses, you’ll want to integrate them into your overall retirement saving and investing strategies. Knowing the size of a potential health care burden may help motivate you to put as much as you can afford into your 401(k), IRA and other retirement accounts. Even when you’re retired, part of your portfolio should be devoted to growth-oriented investments, such as stocks, to help pay for rising health care costs. It’s true that stocks will always fluctuate, and you don’t want to be forced to sell them when their price is
down. However, you can help yourself avoid this problem by also owning a good mix of other investments, such as investment-grade corporate bonds, government securities and certificates of deposit (CDs), whose value may be more stable than that of stocks. Another way to help defray the costs of health care is to work part-time a few years after you had originally planned to retire. This added income can help you delay tapping into your IRA and 401(k), thus giving these accounts a chance to potentially grow further. Plus, you may be able to put off taking Social Security, and the longer you wait until you start collecting benefits, the bigger your checks will be, at least until they top out at age 70. These suggestions may help you meet many of your typical medical costs during retirement, but what about long-term care expenses, such as an extended stay in a nursing home or the need for home health care assistance? As mentioned above, these costs can be enormous. Fortunately, the financial marketplace does provide some cost-effective solutions for long-term care – solutions that may help you avoid “self-insuring.” A financial professional can provide you with some recommendations in this area. It’s probably unavoidable that your health care costs will rise, and possibly keep rising, when you’re retired. But by being aware of these expenses years in advance, and by following a diligent saving and investment strategy – one that may also include a longterm care component – you can improve your “financial fitness” for dealing with health care costs. submitted by Bob Podraza in the Edward Jones office on West Broad Street, Quakertown. He can be reached at 215-536-3635 or at bob.podraza@edwardjones.com
LEAVE DEPRESSION BEHIND Depression? Hopelessness? That was yesterday.
Schaffer Named Senior VP, Chief Marketing Officer QNB Bank is pleased to announce the promotion of Brian K. Schaffer, CFMP to the position of Senior Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer. Schaffer has been with the Bank since 1986, most recently serving as Vice President, Marketing. He is responsible for overseeing all marketing operations of the Bank including advertising, public relations, research and sales promotion and developing its marketing strategy and vision. A graduate of Upper Perkiomen High School, Schaffer earned a B.S. Business Administration – Marketing degree at Kutztown University and is a graduate of the
American Bankers Association School of Bank Marketing and Management at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Schaffer serves on the Board and as Treasurer of Lehigh Valley Road Runners. He is an active volunteer with numerous charitable running events throughout the area. In addition, he holds a Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP) designation as a member of The Institute of Certified Bankers and is a member of the American Bankers Association Marketing Network. A life-long resident of the area, he currently lives in Wescosville with his family.
Ooops, we missed some!
In our reporting of the Best of Upper Bucks 2017 winners in our last issue, a few categories were inadvertently omitted, so here they are! Congratulations to these local businesses! Florist: Always Beautiful General Store: Spors Electrician: Ed Miller
Lawyer: Gavin Laboski Smoothies: Edible Arrangements Winery: Unami Ridge
Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is • Safe, effective, clinically proven to help those with Depression • Magnetic pulses to stimulate brain structures • FDA-cleared, non-invasive and non-medication treatment • 20-minute daily sessions for 4-6 weeks Now accepting Medicare and other insurances.
Call us today and get your life back! www.newvitaewellness.com 215-538-3403 ext. 314
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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Have something to share with your community? Send us the details! info@ubfp.org • fax: 215-839-3421 • 582 S. West End Blvd• Quakertown, PA 18951
Ongoing Events & Resources Free Singing Lessons for men, all ages. All materials provided. Tuesdays 6:45pm-8:15pm Until March 28 at Lenape Middle School, 313 W State Rd, Doylestown. Details/regis. 215-300-0202 Summer Science Academy Classes at Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy in Schwenksville. Costs info/pre-regis. with paymt required, 610-287-9383. (“Green Growing Things” June 12-15, ages 3-6) (“Summer Explorers” July 10-14 & Aug 14-1, K-3rd gr) (“Summer Afield” June 19-23 or July 24-28, 4th6th gr) (“Exploring the East Branch Creek” June 29 or July 6, K-4th gr) perkiomenwatershed.org Quakertown Farmers Market Auctions 1st & 3rd Fri/month w/Les Beyer, 2nd & 4th Sat/month w/Tom Lorah, call 215-536-4115 for info Hoagie Sales 2nd Monday of month (except July/August) at Trumbauersville Fire Co, 142 North Main St, advance orders due Wed. before. $5.50-$6.00, info/order: Kim 215-536-1998 or bucks58fire.com 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 is 2nd Saturday each month, 11am-2pm, PetSmart, 620 N.West End Blvd, Quakertown, 215-538-2843 or lastchanceranch.org 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
Support & Service Groups
Singles Connection for adults meets Thursdays for social evening, 7pm at Silverdale Brethren in Christ Church, 165 W. Main St, Silverdale. 215593-9995 or email carolonline1@verizon.net Sisters U Monthly Meetings 7pm-9pm the third Thurs every month in Perkasie, info: 267429-3196, stef@sistersu.com, Parent Support Group on Addiction meets 7pm, first & third Wed every month in Red Schoolhouse, Presbyterian Church Deep Run, 16 Irish Meetinghouse Rd, Bedminster. Info: batchof5@yahoo.com Family Education on Addiction meets 7pm, first three Mondays every month in the Red School House, Presbyterian Church Deep Run, 16 Irish Meetinghouse Rd, Perkasie. Free, register 800-221-6333 SOS Bereavement After Suicide, Family Support Group 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 or 610-558-1326 Caregiver Support Group meets last Thurs. every month, Independence Court of Quakertown, 1660 Park Ave, (meal provided), RSVP: 215-5419030 to attend a meeting. Caregiver Support Group 4pm-5pm, meets last Thur. of month, Hidden Meadows, 340 Farmers Ln, Sellersville, (tour & complimentary lunch), 267-429-3931, hiddenmeadowsontheridge.com Upper Bucks Clinic, free medical care for uninsured low-income residents of Upper Bucks County, 215-538-4774 Alzheimer’s Support Group, Phoebe Richland Health Care Ctr, 108 S. Main St, Richlandtown. Free, more info: Social Services 267-371-4512,
nkoval@phoebe.org Alzheimer’s Support Group, Hidden Meadows on the Ridge, 340 Farmers Ln, Sellersville. RSVP 267-429-3931 NOVA (Network Of Victim Assistance) Support Groups, NOVA hotline 1-800-675-6900. www.NOVABucks.org Bedminster Nar-Anon meets Tues 7pm, Deep Run West Mennonite, 1008 Deep Run Rd, Perkasie, for family/friends of those struggling w/addiction, Bedminster.naranon@yahoo.com A Woman’s Place (support for domestic abuse/ violence) 24-hour Hotline 1-800-220-8116, www.awomansplace.org AARP meets 2nd Mon each month, at Upper Bucks Activity Ctr, 2183 Milford Sq Pike, Quakertown, 215-536-3066 UB Kiwanis meets 1st Wed of month 7:30am at Panera Bread, 4th Wed of month 12:30pm at Dominick’s Pizza, Quakertown Quakertown Lions Club meets 2nd & 4th Wed 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 Thurs 7am-8:30am at John’s Plain & Fancy 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
Community Meals
Free Community Meal third Wed of month, 5:30pm-6:30pm, Christ Community Bible Church, 1830 N. Ridge Rd, Perkasie, 215-257-7318
Free Community Meal second, fourth & fifth Weds.of month, 6pm, Richland Friends Quaker Meeting. Mill Rd & Main St off Route 309, Qtwn, 215-538-7555 Free Community Meal third Thurs of month, 5:30pm-6:30pm, First UCC, 4th & Park, Qtwn, 215-536-4447 Free Community Meal first Thurs. of month, 5:45pm, Yerger Bldg across from Trinity Lutheran, 102 N Hellertown Ave Quakertown
Bingo
Bingo at Encore Experiences, 2nd Sat of month, 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, open 5:30pm, (refreshments avail, smoke-free), cash prizes, 1319 Park Ave, Quakertown, 215-536-6130 Bingo at Richland Twp Fire & Rescue every Tues, open 5:30pm, 64 Shelly Rd, Qtwn. 215-536-7226 Bingo at Great Swamp Fish & Game every Sat, 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. (except July) open 5:30pm, 2 N. Main St, 215-257-4028 Bingo at Tylersport Fire Co. every Tues. open 5:30pm, 125 Ridge Rd, 215-257-5900 Bingo at American Legion Post 397, 1st & 3rd Friday of the month, open 6pm, 935 Main St, Hellertown, 484-851-3624
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
PASTOR AXEL KAEGLER The first day of this month is the first day of Lent - Ash Wednesday. On this day, Christians are confronted with the uncomfortable truth we are dust and to dust we shall return. With a sign of the cross made of ash marked onto our foreheads we are reminded that all of the things we’ve made for ourselves, everything we’ve so carefully created and cultivated, will one day have no more life than a black smudge. We confess together that we, and all that is ours is temporary. Our time on earth is short in the scheme of things, and what we do in this life returns with us to the dust. Nothing of ours will last forever, however timeless we may imagine it to be. Many try to deny this fundamental truth. We might try look to ancient and hallowed institutions and imagine they are timeless. We might chase after illusions of grandeur, legacies, and so on that will go. (I kind of hope one day I can leave behind an ever-percolating “Memorial Coffee Pot” for a university library). But we’re fooling ourselves if we pretend that a time won’t come when our lives and our memories are out of our hands and control. The
Bible Baptist Church
ashes on our foreheads confess it: we are dust, and to dust we shall return. But in spite of it all, God has a way with dust. God breathes into it and gives it life. God speaks to the dust and things happen. God loves the dust and in Jesus takes it onto himself. Life, death, sin, and all of that dusty, dirty stuff is taken as though it belongs to God. Jesus goes into the dust. But he does not stay there. The cross on your forehead may seem grim, but it is in fact a promise: You belong to God. Everything that belongs to us goes into the dust. But what about those things which belong to God? Well that, dear readers, is a longer story. Yes, we are dust. But we belong to God and God can strange and great things with dirt. Fears, grudges, and sins can be laid to rest. New life can spring up out of death. You are part of it. You are part of this story. Come to Church for this Lenten season and see what that your part may look like. Amen. Axel Kaegler is the pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church of Spinnerstown. He can be reached at kaegax01@gmail.com
Upper Bucks Area Places of Worship
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 Pastor: David Heckler 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
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.
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
Quakertown United Methodist Church
St. John’s Lutheran Ridge Valley
1875 Freier Road, Quakertown
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!
215-536-4992 barb@qumc.com www.qumc.com Pastor: Rev. Dr. Thomas S. Robinson III Sunday morning worship: 8:00am, 9:00am
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.
11:00am Sunday School for all ages 10:00am.
1634 Hilltown Pike, Hilltown 215-822-3930 Pastor: The Rev. Catherine Kerr 10:00am Sunday Eucharist
Clerk: Jack H. Schick
Good Shepherd Church (Episcopal)
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 6:30 pm, Small group meetings 2nd & 4th Sundays 6:30 pm, Tues: Ladies Bible study 9:30am; Wed: AWANA (2 yrs - 6th grade) & Teens for Christ 6:30 pm, Adult Bible study 7 pm.
Morning Star Fellowship
Richland Friends Meeting (Quaker) Main St at Mill Rd & Park Ave, Quakertown 215-538-7555 Friends@RichlandQuakers.org www.RichlandQuakers.org 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
Spinnerstown Rd & County Line Rd Spinnerstown 215-679-7710 tgsucc@verizon.net www.tgsucc.org Pastor: David R. Ellis / Matt Gorkos Sunday School classes for all ages (preK adult) 9:15 am. Family activities throughout the year
We are a vibrant, welcoming Family of Faith.
Pastor: David Genszler
First United Church of Christ
Fourth Street & Park Avenue, Quakertown 215-536-4447 info@firstUCC.net www.firstUCC.net facebook.com/FirstUCCQuakertown Co-Pastors: Douglas & Joyce Donigian Traditional worship Sunday 9:15am, Alternative worship Sunday 5:15pm, Community dinners every 3rd Thursday 5:30pm
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.
Evangel Assembly of God
401 Arch Street, Perkasie 215-453-1565 • www.perkasieag.org Pastor: Rev. Gary Saul Where God’s Love Changes Lives
Pennridge Christian Fellowship
104 Green Street, Sellersville 215-257-7268 stacey@stpaulsucc.net www.stpaulsucc.net 8:00 am Rejoice & Praise Worship in Parlor, 9 am Sunday School - all ages, 10:15 Worship in Sanctuary
Trinity Great Swamp UCC
610-282-1908 234 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.
MorningStar Moravian Church
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ
Pastor: Rev. Steve Myren Worship: Sundays 9:30am. Ridge Valley:
560 S. Main Street Quakertown, PA 18951 215-536-3040 emmanuelchurch11@yahoo.com www.emmanuelquakertown.org Sunday service at 10am, Visitors and new members always welcome!
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.
www.ridgevalleyucc.org
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.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Applebachsville
Growing Together in God’s Love.
St. John’s Lutheran Church 19 South 10th Street, Quakertown 215-536-3593 stjohnsquak@verizon.net www.stjohnsquak.org 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 www.stjohnsofspinnerstown.org Pastor: The Rev. Axel Kaegler Worship service 9:45 am, Sunday School 9 9:45 am - children 3 years through 6th grade
Trinity Lutheran Church
102 N. Hellertown Avenue, Quakertown 215-536-4345 www.trinityquakertown.org Pastor: Lynette R. Chapman 9am Traditional Service, 10:15am FaithQuest, 11am Contemporary Service. Handicapped Accessible, Family Friendly Church, Dynamic Music Ministry. Living God’s Love for All.
Victory Fellowship Church
120 Ridge Road, Telford 215-453-9988 victoryfellowshippa@gmail.com 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.
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
7
Resolve to Shop for Electricity A new year means a new start. The calendar says March How are your resolutions doing so far? Do you want to lose 15 pounds in 2017? Read 25 books? Clean your basement and keep it clean? Anything is possible if you stick to it, take it one step at a time and keep your eyes on the goal. Saving energy and money is something worth adding to your 2017 to-do list. It doesn’t take a major investment or a big life change to make improvements in this area. Here are a few tips that can help you reach your energy- and money-saving goals in the new year: • Switch to LED bulbs around the house. They use much less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs, and also last longer. - Seal leaks around doors and windows. Those are common places for warm air to escape, and generally easy to fix. • Unplug chargers when not in use. They continue to use energy even when they’re not plugged into a device. • Wash laundry in cold water and full loads, and clean your dryer’s lint filter whenever you use it. • Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. • Take a look at the programs, rebates and tips available at pplelectricsavings.com. If you own or manage a business, you can save energy and money there too. Here are a few quick tips for businesses to save: • Enlist all employees to help. Make sure everyone’s on board with turning off unnecessary lights or machines, and that everyone who uses a computer has it set to an energy-saving sleep setting. • Make sure HVAC equipment is inspected
on a regular schedule, so it runs as efficiently as possible. The same thing goes for refrigeration equipment in restaurants. • Check out pplelectricbusinesssavings.com to find out about energy-saving options, ranging from informational Webinars to rebates on energy-efficient equipment. Another smart step if you’re looking to cut electricity costs is to check the offers of competitive energy suppliers. Other suppliers may offer better prices and terms than PPL Electric Utilities’ “price to compare” – the price you’ll pay if you don’t shop. If you switched to a competitive supplier a few years ago and haven’t given it much thought since, 2017 is definitely a year to put shopping on your to-do list. You may be able to get a better price in today’s market. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s PAPowerSwitch.com website is the place to go for all the shopping info you need. You can check PPL’s current price to compare, see what other suppliers are offering, and even start the switching process if you choose. Just make sure you understand all the terms of any contract before you switch. How long does the contract last? Is there a fee for early cancellation? And is the rate fixed or variable? (Fixed rates don’t change. Variable rates go up and down based on market prices for electricity, and you may end up paying more than you expected if the rate goes up.) It is never too late to make new resolutions. These are just a few tips to get you started on a successful – and energy-efficient – 2017. Whatever your personal goals and dreams are for 2017, I hope it’s a good one! Carol is the Regional Affairs Director for PPL Electric Utilities in Allentown, PA. Reach her at CObando-Derstine@pplweb.com
Did you know? Not only is March Women’s History Month, but it’s also American Red Cross Month and Fire Prevention Month. Other popular holidays are Read Across America (March 2, which is Dr. Seuss’ birthday), St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), Pi Day (March 14), Daylights Saving Day, Purim, and sometimes Easter even happens during the month.
Relationships What are relationships? They are an emotional or other connection, association or involvement between people. Sometimes they are healthy and good for us and other times they are unhealthy and harmful to us. The trick for some of us is how do we know the difference. We may think that we have this great relationship with our partner or a friend until we start talking or listening to other people. This is when we question hmmmm….. is my relationship as great as I think and if so why?? We can become so accustomed to how we relate and interact with someone that it is “normal” for us. So, unless someone points something out to us we just go about our business thinking that all is good in our relationship when in fact it may be quite unhealthy. There are different degrees of unhealthy or dysfunctional per say that are not always harmful when the couple knows and understands each other very well. Because sometimes it is about how we relate to that person and/or how we grew up that we learned how to be in a relationship. Most of us aren’t even aware that how we were raised and how our family members and friends interacted with us is why and how we are in our relationships with others. Some of it is good and some not so good. So how do we know? I would like to say the obvious is when someone is physically or verbally abusive towards us. While most of us would say, I would never be in that kind of relationship; the latter is if you were raised in this kind of environment it would be considered “normal” thus not unhealthy or dysfunctional. So, the question becomes: “Do I like how I am being treated in this relationship?” Does this person make me feel good about myself? Is that important to me? What is it that I value in a relationship with someone?” If your selfworth is not good you will accept a lot less than what you deserve. And the truth of the matter is that most people do not even ask these ques-
tions. They connect with one another have similar qualities or interests and decide to be in a relationship with each other. Is that wrong? No!! It is only a problem when at some point, you realize that you are not happy or satisfied with the relationship and you stay in it despite how you feel. Obligation, commitment and fear are the main reasons people will stay in a relationship even if their needs are not being totally met. To voice your opinion, share your feelings and possibly have conflict are not comfortable; however, if you believe in this person and feel there is enough good in the relationship you will be more willing to take a risk because the reality is your relationship could be so much better and you will be happier. That is why it is so important to know what it is that you value in any of your relationships with family, friends or your partner. Trust, respect, empathy, understanding, openness, willingness, humility, vulnerability, humor, laughter, fun, ambition, responsible, spiritual…..etc. You can be more specific and say I want to be heard. I want to have family dinners. I want date nights. Whatever it is that you like and want in your life that is how you will define your relationship with others. Some relationships with friends may last a short while or a life time. Our relationships teach us about ourselves. Meaning who we spend our time with and what we do with that time. Even if we stay in a friendship out of obligation and finally end it we have learned something about ourselves and what we value. Because what we value is “US” which makes us very happy!! So be true to yourself and thrive in your relationships that make you feel good about yourself and your life. 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.
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
What is the Bucks County Community Accountability Program?
BY LISA GAIER The belief that some individuals are worthy of second chances
Four years after its formation, the Bucks County Community Accountability Program, or CAP is a great success. CAP is a diversionary program for first-time non-violent adult offenders and similar to Youth Aid Panels, uses community volunteers to review cases and recommend appropriate consequences outside the criminal justice system. It’s a second chance for those that made a poor decision and at the end of the informal probation period, successful participants have a clean slate. If an individual fails to successfully complete the program, their case will revert back to the criminal justice system. The program is less expensive and offers a shorter probation term than its more formal alternative, Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD). Individuals are heavily screened and those arrested on DUI or suspected of heavy drug use are not eligible to participate in CAP.
How it works
Police officers refer cases to the District Attorney’s Office and if eligible, the case proceeds to the District Magistrate. The magistrate schedules a status hearing and the individual is offered the opportunity to participate in the CAP program. If an individual decides to participate, the case is scheduled for a Panel Hearing. Each panel is made up of volunteers from the community and at the start of the hearing, the chairperson reads a statement explaining how the program works. Once the hearing gets underway, panel members ask questions not only about the crime, but a person’s home, work and school life. They’ll ask about all aspects of the person’s life. Most importantly, the individual must accept responsibility for their actions. All discussions between the panel and the participant
are kept confidential unless a person indicates that they may be a danger to themselves or others. Once the hearing is closed, panel members meet privately to discuss whether the case and individual is appropriate for the program and, if so, the panel will determine appropriate consequences. These can include, writing letters of apology, thank you notes to the officer for referring the case, restitution, drug tests and community service. All participants must remain drug and alcohol free during the probationary period.
Why it makes a difference
So many times, a participant is overwhelmed by life and may make a very poor decision. Many times they are too embarrassed to ask for help and, unfortunately find themselves in the criminal justice system. However, the Panel can ultimately be the best thing for them. Intervention before their issues escalate to the point that they are permanently involved with the criminal justice system. Other times, the intervention identifies a serious mental health issue. For example, the Upper Bucks Panel had a participant who became suicidal after their arrest. Through the questioning at the hearing, panel members realized the seriousness of the situation and were able to immediately connect that person with crisis intervention. As Chairwoman of an Upper Bucks Panel, I still believe people make mistakes. Over the past 3-4 years, only a handful of participants have failed to complete the program successfully. There are times I see former participants in the community and they are very grateful for the second chance they were given. New beginnings give everyone hope. Lisa Gaier is an attorney, Quakertown Borough Councilwoman, and chair of the CAP program discussed here. Lisa welcomes questions about the program. She can be reached at lisaforjudge@gmail.com
Well, it’s too early to plant, but not too early to plan! As you’re shopping the seed catalogues and looking for perennials and shrubs to show sprouts of life, now is also a good time to give some thought to mulch! And there is a LOT to think about! There are many kinds of mulch to choose from. Recently a Bucks County Master Gardener came up with a list of over 20 types of mulch—and each has its special features and benefits! Whichever you choose, there are also right and wrong (some very wrong) ways to introduce the mulch to your garden. First: The benefits of proper mulching: • Weed Control: One chief benefit of mulching is the reality that mulch prevents weed seeds from getting the sunlight they need to germinate and grow. A layer of cardboard or wet newspapers placed under a more traditional layer of mulch is very effective in weed control. With this purpose in mind, early mulching is most effective. • Soil temperature moderation: If an early warm spring thaw activates seeds or young sprouts, mulch (last year’s leftovers or a new layer if you got an early start) can moderate the soil temperature to protect tender plants and seeds from temperature variation or extremes! This could save a plant’s life if Mother Nature throws a late freeze/snow anomaly our way! Mulch can protect the soil from (too) early warmth and insulate it from (too) late cold. Temperature swings in spring can be killers--and mulch can be the shield that makes the ultimate difference in a healthy start for a new plant. • Moisture control—goes hand-in-hand with the moderation of soil temperature. Bare soil will heat up more quickly because it lacks the insulating layer of mulch; this will cause baked hard soil to lose moisture. Alternately, during cool evenings in early spring mulch will insulate the soil, helping it to retain daytime warmth. At temperature extremes, mulch can even prevent frost from heaving plants out of the ground. • Visual garden appeal: a fresh layer of mulch enhances the curb appeal of your springtime garden, giving a fresh tidy appearance. However, we recommend you resist the temptation to use dyed mulch. Dyed mulches can leach poisons into the soil and be especially damaging to new plants. • Prevention of soil erosion: This is especially important on slopes or in an area where rain or drainage may cause soil erosion—heavy mulches (think stone or pebbles) can keep soil from eroding. • Prevention of soil splash: Splashes of mud can damage tender plant leaves or introduce pathogens that are harmful to the plants. Especially on vegetables and fruits that are grown for food, this benefit is most appreciated at harvest time. • Enhanced soil structure: Organic mulches (think finely shredded bark or wood chips, straw, or shredded leaves) that break down over time can improve soil structure. Although not a substitute for fertilizer (or a reason not to test your soil for proper nutrients), decomposed mulch can be overall beneficial to soil fertility. So how can you go wrong? • Depth: Mulch spread too thick, or too thin, can be ineffective or counter-effective to the reason for spreading the mulch! If using finely ground (or textured) mulch, 2” is ideal; for coarser mulch, spread to a depth of 4”. Deeper mulch is ineffective in moisture utilization and may encourage rodents to take up residence, or encourage plant diseases. Use the 2-4” range, along with the square footage of your garden, to calculate the cubic feet of mulch you should order—don’t over order (and overspend) and then be tempted to spread a layer that’s too thick. • Proximity to plants/trees: Even professional landscapers have done it – the dreaded
mulch volcano! Mounding up soil and mulch around the base of either deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs can be harmful – and potentially fatal -- to the tree or plant. A freshly planted tree with a mulch volcano around it will be subject to girdled roots—root growth circling the tree trunk to the point of strangling the growing tree in the years ahead. (Sadly, you’ll see new trees planted this way in professional landscapes each spring.) For a mature tree, the trunk—all the way down to the where the roots flare out at the soil line—should be above ground and exposed to oxygen which roots need to breathe. If the lower trunk is covered, the situation encourages insects, mice, voles, moles and even diseases—enough damage to eventually kill the tree. Wet bark can be a breeding ground for disease, rot, and fungus. In autumn, exposed bark down to the root flare needs to harden to prepare for winter cold—if bundled in mulch, the hardening will be delayed and the tree will not be ready for winter’s harshness. Always keep mulch or soil at least 3-5 inches away from the trunk to allow proper circulation so the bark can dry out between rain events, and so roots have proper oxygen and growth patterns, and rodents and insects will not take up residence. • Compaction: If last year’s mulch is not fully disintegrated, and a new layer of mulch is added, it may prevent moisture from sinking into the soil—and dampness from escaping. Be sure to fluff up last year’s leftovers before adding more. You may find that only a small new layer is needed and then do not exceed the 2-4” limit including last year’s remnants. • Timing: Mulch is best applied in mid-tolate spring, after the ground has warmed and dried from winter rains. If applied too early, it can lead to water-logged soil. If applied too late, it will be less effective for weed control. • Type: There are many, many types mulches from which to choose. Each has benefits and disadvantages in certain applications. Black polyethylene used commercially by some fruit and vegetable growers doesn’t permit passage of water—but does protect plants from soil splash. Some mulches (wood chips and bark) are high in carbon and actually drain nitrogen from the soil. Compost adds great nutrient benefits to the soil, but can be a poor performer for weed control. Pick the mulch that works best for your specific needs. Do you want to learn much more? While NCAA fans are filing out their basketball brackets, you can select from the Sweet 16 of mulches to pick your Final Four—and the ultimate winner for your garden! Yes, it’s MULCH MADNESS on Saturday, March 18 when the Bucks County Master Gardeners invite the public to the Extension office auditorium from 10am-1pm to view/touch/learn about 16 types of mulch and get information about the best ones for Bucks County gardens. You’ll find out if newspaper, aluminum foil (!) or wood chips are in your Elite 8 of mulch picks. You’ll learn about application, timing, garden value, and mulching tools—and you’ll be a Mulch Master after taking advantage of this opportunity. Plus, you’ll have fun learning—perhaps an opportunity to make a ‘hoop’ to win a prize bag of the mulch of your choice! Light refreshments will be available, light-hearted fun will be included, but most of all, a heavy dose of Mulch knowledge is guaranteed at our Mulch Madness event. Hope to see you there! Bucks County Extension, 1282 Almshouse Road, Neshaminy Manor Center, Doylestown, PA 18901. Questions? 215-345-3283 Have questions? Contact us! “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 through the Upper Bucks Free Press!
These students recently won college scholarship money from the Patriots Pen and Voice of Democracy Essay contests from John Rivers VFW Post11322 in Quakertown. submitted photo
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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The Wedding Day
Quakertown Alive! Recognizes Volunteers at Luncheon Quakertown Alive! relies on our dedicated volunteers to continue our mission of enhancing life in our community through continuing development of a thriving downtown center. Many times, these volunteers work behind the scenes, supporting our projects and events without public recognition. At Quakertown Alive!’s Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon in January, we honored two of those volunteers:
Lynda Ulrich (right) serves as our Events Chairperson. She oversees the committee that plans Arts Alive!, Autumn Alive!, and the Christmas Tree Lighting. Cheri Freeh (left) serves as Quakertown Alive!’s Treasurer. These two ladies have been invaluable to Quakertown Alive! over the years and we are so grateful for their service. photo by michele buono
One recent morning, I was browsing through a local advertising paper and noticed ads for spring and Summer Wedding preparations. Also earlier my wife and I were talking about her going to town to purchase a wedding shower gift for a member of our extended families future wife. As I was reading the paper, I received a call from my sister Shirley Rupert and in our general conversation of recent happenings, she mentioned that she recently was in contact with a couple that had her sing at their wedding. My sister was much in demand in the 1950’s and 60’s for such services. She mentioned that the wife of the couple was not doing well and she was concerned. These three events all within about an hours time, prompted me to right about what I have seen as changes in the Marriage Ceremony of the span of my parent’s and my life. My parents were married in September 1933, one of the worst years of the depression of 1929 era. As I wrote in previous articles, one week after their marriage both lost their jobs as factories were closing in the area. The custom of most couples in that era was to exchange their marriage vows in the Parsonage by the congregation pastor, with just a few people in attendance as witnesses. Then the “Shindig” (reception) was held at the brides parent’s home with covered dishes brought by guests. Usually after the service the couple would stop by for their appointment with the local photographer in his studio for the wedding photograph. A popular studio was that of “Greisamer’s” in Quakertown. Only the “well to do” had big church weddings during that period. I would like to interject at this time that an old tradition of a “Kettle Band” took place within a few weeks after marriage. The people would gather in the evening and beat on kettles with spoons until the couple would invite them in for light refreshment. (In most cases the group would bring that refreshment along to help the couple.) The War (WW II) came along shortly thereafter and many young couples had similar weddings (Hurry up because of time limits) with the hope of having the “Shindig” later on after (hopefully) the spouse returned home. After the War more and more couples decided to have church weddings. Cars were decorated with strings of Crepe Paper with Crepe Paper Flowers stuck on randomly with masken tape. After photos were taken the bridal party loaded up in this fleet of cars and the drivers drove through “town” hunking
their horns as the drove around. The couple then arrived at the wedding hall for the reception. Most guests drove to the reception hall during photos. After the war many local communities purchased surplus military vehicles for fire service. They then constructed halls to house the vehicles and hold community functions for fundraisers. Many granges still were functioning and rented their halls as well as Veterans Groups expanded their facilities to have reception halls. All the above were staffed with many rotating serving staff and a cadre of wonderful Pa. Dutch Kitchen Staff. This type of arrangement continued for many years and was so popular that in order to get some of the most popular halls such as the VFW outside of Perkasie, West End Fire Hall, or Milford Twp. Firehall, reservations would have to be made well over a year in advance. There usually was either a fund raising dinner or wedding reception every weekend. Now as in many cases the halls are empty and it is hard to get such volunteers. It was customary to have a live band and such popular groups as the Mel-o-dee Aces, Chet Williams Band, and The Rainbow Four would perform several sets for dancing and entertainment. They too would have to be contracted way in advance. Let us not forget the “Rehearsal Party” that was held the evening before the church service usually at a local restaurant or at one of the parent’s homes. These get togethers usually helped settle the nerves of all the preparation and seriousness of the ceremony. More weddings are now held at “Resorts” either located locally or in the Pocono’s. A few of the former reception halls are now rented by “Reception Catering Services” for that purpose. In our changing society today’s couples have families and friends (through schooling) that are residing out of state and need to have overnight accommodations. Many of these facilities offer a place for the service, the reception, and offer arrangements for overnight stays. These facilities are now the most popular and they now have to be booked way in advance. From “Parsonage Weddings” to “Church Weddings” and hall receptions, to the newer “All in one Weddings”, the exchange of marriage vows has remained basically the same. Let us all reflect back to that special day in our lives. We were both nervous and awed by the obligation of the event and hoping that the service went as planned. Take a few minutes after reading this article to reflect with your spouse on your memories of “Your Wedding Day!” . Dick Helm is a regular contributor. He can be reached at dickhelm@ubfp.org
Trail Stewards Offers Opportunities to Give Back The Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network (PHTN) is a network of recreational trails located within the 1.9 million-acre, 13 county Pennsylvania Highlands region. When complete, the PHTN will connect to the New York-New Jersey Highlands Trail from the Delaware River at Riegelsville, PA to the junction of the Mason-Dixon and Appalachian Trails in the in Cumberland County. Although conceived as a “rugged footpath”, the PHTN will include many trail types that accommodate
a wide range of uses including hiking, biking, horseback riding, cross country skiing and other forms of non-motorized recreation. The Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Stewards is a group of volunteer trail advocates that are dedicated to the development and maintenance of the trails of the PHTN and providing trail stewardship education to the Highlands community. Projects that the Trail Stewards have worked on include trail maintenance at Ringing Rocks County Park, Bucks County, and on the
Appalachian Trail in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. In April 2016, the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Stewards and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy provided a volunteer training day that provided information on sustainable trail construction and maintenance techniques, tool use, safety, and interfacing with agencies. In 2017, the Trail Stewards will hold several opportunities to volunteer including a half-day work day on the trails in Ringing Rocks County Park. Participants do not need
experience and do not need to attend a training session prior to the work day. Activities will include clearing the trail tread of debris, cutting back branches, clearing water bars and painting trail blazes. If you are interested in volunteering with the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Stewards or would like more information about the program, contact Greg Bernet at atmonitor@amcdv.org.
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
Carol A. Freed, 78, of Quakertown, died Tues. Jan. 31st at St. Luke’s University Hospital, Bethlehem. She was the wife of the late C. William Freed Jr. Born in Harrisburg, she was the daughter of the late George and Catherine (Snyder) Kichman. She was a member of the Quakertown Women’s Club and the First United Church of Christ, Quakertown. Surviving is her son, James Rafftesaeth of Dallas TX; step son, C. William Freed III; step daughter, Kathleen Freed; step grandchildren Thomas, Hannah, Jessica, Rebecca, and Hannah. Memorial contributions can be made to First United Church of Christ, 151 S. 4th St., Quakertown. www.nauglefcs.com Angela L. “Lee” Hamilton, 86, of
Milford Square, died Wed. Feb. 1st. She was the wife of the late Clifford J. Hamilton. Born in Hoboken, NJ, she was a daughter of the late Dominic and Antoinette (Indellacati) Mastrocco. She owned Fun and Learn Nursery School for many years and also worked as a secretary at Hamilton Service Center, Milford Square. Surviving are her sons, Stewart Hamilton of Philadelphia, Clifford Hamilton Jr., wife Iris of Dubai, U.A.E. and Michael Hamilton of Milford Square; daughter, Angela Dougherty, husband Richard Errickson of Pennsburg; grandchildren, Ian, Jessica, Stewart Jr., Christina, Vincent, Audrey and Nathaniel; nine great grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son, Anthony Hamilton and a daughter-inlaw, Catherine Hamilton. Memorial contributions can be made to Upper Bucks SPCA, 60 Reservoir Road, Quakertown, PA 18951 or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105. www.nauglefcs.com
Howard G. Kehs, 85, of Quakertown, died Fri. Feb. 3rd at Quakertown Center. He was the husband of the late Judith (Weidemoyer) Kehs. Born in W. Rockhill Twp., he was a son of the late James and Mamie Edna (Yost) Kehs.
~Obituaries~
He worked as a drill press operator with U.S. Gauge, Ametek Division, Sellersville for 36 years prior to his retirement. Surviving are his daughters, Donna Kehs Funk of Hellertown, LuAnn Zaph, Diane Landis, and Annette Kehs all of Florida; Son, Steve Kehs of Florida; step daughters, Sharon Burke, Debbie Bealer, and Sue Palm; many grandchildren, great grandchildren and step grandchildren; brothers, Richard Kehs and Donald Kehs, wife June. He was predeceased by a brother, Willard “Miles” Kehs and a sister, Elizabeth Wampole. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123. www.nauglefcs.com
Glenn D. Williams, Sr., 68 of Bethlehem- Lower Nazareth Twsp., PA. died Saturday, February 4, 2017, at his home. Born December 6, 1948 in Bethlehem, PA, he was the son of Juanita J. (Duelley) Williams of Quakertown, PA. and the late Robert G. Williams. He was the husband of Opal K. (Williams) Williams with whom he shared 47 years of marriage last April 12, 2016. Glenn was a 1967 graduate of Quakertown High School, who worked for Henry Yeska and Son, septic services of Nazareth as a truck driver for 35 years before retiring in 2011. He also worked part time for Labarre Towing for 5 years. A member of St. John’s U.C.C. Church, Nazareth, PA. Glenn served as both the Boy Scout Leader of Troop #78 and Cub Scout Leader of Troop #79 both of Nazareth, PA. from 1976 to 2003. He was a vigil member of the Boy Scouts Order of the Arrow, and offered many hours of service at both Camp Minsi and Camp Trexler. Surviving along with his wife and mother are sons, Roy E. Williams, II and wife Jennifer of Quakertown, PA, Mark R. Williams of Somerset, PA, and Andrew J. Williams of Nazareth, PA, brothers, Kenneth B. Williams and wife Cheryl, Robert C. Williams and wife Diane, and Daniel W. Williams and
wife Donna all of Quakertown, PA; 3 grandchildren: Jacob, Caleb, and Cassia. He was predeceased by a son, Glenn D. Williams, Jr. in 2005. Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are under the care of Bartholomew-Schisler Funeral Home, 211 E. Center St., Nazareth, PA. 18064. Contributions: Maybe made to Minsi Trails Council Campership fund C/O the funeral home. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.schislerfuneralhomes.com
Raymond E. Krewson, 87, of Quakertown, died Tues., Feb. 7, at Phoebe Richland Health Care, Richlandtown. He was the beloved husband of Dolores (Rothmund) Krewson for 31 years. Born in Doylestown, he was a son of the late George and Esther (Harvison) Krewson. Ray was a heat treater for J.W. Rex Co. in Lansdale for 36 years. He was also a veteran of the Korean War, and was active with the American Legion and was a life member of the Forrest Lodge VFW Post 245 in Sellersville, where he served twice as commander. With his wife, he is survived by sons Karl Krewson and Tom Garey; daughters Joanne Snyder, Brenda Belac, and Kathleen Moyer; ten grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by a daughter, Linda. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ray’s memory to Phoebe Richland Health Care Center, 108 S. Main St., Richlandtown, PA 18955. www.nauglefcs.com Ralph E. Buzby, 94, formerly of Quakertown, and resident of Rockhill Mennonite Community, Sellersville; died Tues, Feb 7 in Grand View Hospital. He was the husband of the late Shirley (Betz) Buzby. Born in Quakertown, he was a son of the late Walter A. and Jennie M. (Benner) Buzby. For nearly sixty years, Ralph worked in banking with Quakertown National Bank before retiring. He served with the US Army in World War II. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Quakertown. Surviving are a son, Jeff & wife Shirley of Huntington Beach, CA; daughter Jennifer Nelson of Old Hickory, TN: brother Ken of Webster, NY; and grandchildren Ronni Nelson, Kyle & Nick Buzby. He was predeceased by siblings Bill, Donald, & Evelyn Gross. Memorial Contributions should be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 102 N. Hellertown Ave., Quakertown. www.janauglefcs.com Ruth Mohr of Milford Square, PA, passed away peacefully with family at her side at Belle Haven Nursing Home on February 8, 2017 at the age of 95. She was born Nov. 1, 1921 in Quakertown, PA. She was a loving daughter to Ada and Horace Boorse; devoted wife of 51 years to Paul Mohr, loving sister to Lowell Boorse, Anita Furness, and Carolyn Boorse; all deceased. She is survived by 16 nieces and nephews. Survivors: Ruth was a loving mother to Louise Butcher & husband Don, Linda Rice & husband Les, Rebecca Mosser, and Phillip Mohr & wife Lisa. She cherished her 7 grandchildren, Michelle Spieker, Krista Kunkle, Janene George, Mark Butcher, Ellen Lutz, Jack Mosser, Sarah Mohr, as well as her 15 great grandchildren (one deceased, Parker Lutz). As a faithful and long-time member of West Swamp Mennonite Church, Ruth served willingly as a deaconess, Sunday School teacher, directed a children’s choir, sang in the adult choir, served as organist, and enjoyed times spent with her Tuesday knitting group. She volunteered at the GV Hospice for some years and also taught many piano students in her home for over 40 years. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to Grandview Hospice, 700 Lawn Ave., Sellersville, PA 18960 or the West Swamp Vision fund. www.nauglefcs.com Donald L. Crouthamel, 70, of Richland Twp., died Wed., Feb. 8, at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem. He was the beloved husband of Paula (Thomas) Crouthamel for the past 45 years. Born in Quakertown, he was the son of the late Norman and Betty (Trumbore) Crouthamel. Don was an Army veteran with a quick sense of humor. He was passionate about restoring classic cars and drag racing, and he turned that love into a career. He also had a fascination for WWII airplanes and model building. Above all else, he loved his family and enjoyed spoiling his grandchildren.
With his wife, he is survived by daughter Donel Brennan, husband Ray Jr.; son Donald Crouthamel, Jr., wife Leigh Anne; grandchildren Rachel and her husband, Devin Fowler, Kye, Cole, Sully, and Oscar; and sisters Carol Crouthamel, Linda Landis, husband William David, and Mary Crouthamel, husband Larry. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Christopher Court Foundation c/o The Philadelphia Foundation, P.O. Box 826728, Philadelphia, PA 19182. www.nauglefcs.com
Frederick W. “Fred” Lorenz, 82, of Sellersville died on Friday, February 10, 2017 at Grandview Hospital, Sellersville. He was the loving husband of Patricia J. “Pat” (Gerhart) Lorenz. Born in Shamokin, he was a son of the late Frederick Wilhelm and Pauline (Gessner) Lorenz. He was a graduate of Ashland High School. Fred was employed with Mid-Penn Engineering in Danville for many years, retiring in 2001. He served as a helicopter mechanic in the US Marines during the Korean Conflict. Fred enjoyed the time he spent as an EMT, and was a former boy scout leader. Surviving in addition to his wife Pat are three children: Kim Dietrich, Wildwood Crest, NJ; Keith Lorenz, wife Jami, Wabasha, Minnesota; Kristen Kehs, husband William “Bill”, Hellertown; grandchildren: Kathrine, Kelly (Ryan), Michael (Andrea), Phillip Jonathan “PJ”, Sebastian River, Matthew, Amanda (Josh), Tyler, Nathan, Andrew and Nicholas; great-grandchildren: Michael, Cameron, Kierra, Cali Rea, Gunner and Tessa Lynn; a sister, Nancy Schaffer, husband Claude, Allentown and a brother, Ronald Lorenz, wife Joan, FL. Arthur J. Korch, II, 69, of Quakertown, died at his home on Sat., Feb. 11, 2017. Born in Abington Township, he was a son of the late Arthur J. and Florence L. (Fehn) Korch. After high school, Arthur went on to graduate from Spring Garden Institute in Philadelphia. Arthur was a corvette buff, and loved going to car shows. He was a family man who enjoyed good times vacationing in Pine Beach, NJ and the family homes at Lake Naomi in the Poconos and Ft. Meyers, FL. When he was able, he liked to walk around Lake Towhee, which was right near his house; camp out at Black Powder; boat, and be near the water in general. Arthur had a special place in his heart for animals, especially his beloved Blue – a husky mix with one brown eye and one blue; and one of his favorite pastimes was bird watching. He always liked a good joke, and enjoyed reading newspaper comics, especially Peanuts. Surviving are two daughters: Marsha Laskowski, companion Jeff Collins, of Richlandtown and Carla J. Korch, companion Donna Sumner, of Atlanta, GA; grandchildren: Ryan Laskowski, Michael Laskowski and Samantha Korch; a sister, Virginia “Ginny” Ridgeway, husband Eliot, of Pipersville; nieces and nephews: Seth (Alena) and Justine (Scott); a great-nephew, Owen; a god-daughter, Tracey; and his cousin, an “honorary brother”, John Lawless. Arthur was preceded in death by a grandson, AJ; a brother, Joseph; and a nephew, Lance. www.nauglefcs.com Jane L. Nicholas, 70, of Richlandtown, died on Sat., Feb. 11, 2017 at Phoebe Richland Health Care Center. Born in Allentown, she was the only child of the late Oland and Jean (Horldt) Dillmann. Jane was a lover of New Orleans and Mardi Gras, gardening and the beach; and she liked to go for walks. Her grandkids were very special to her, and she most enjoyed being their grandmother. Surviving are her children: Alyce Goodstadt, husband Noel, Middletown, DE; William “Bill” Sheridan, III, West Chester; Christopher Sheridan, wife Susan, Quakertown and Thomas Nicholas, IV, wife Bridgette, Chalfont; and her grandchildren: Jared, Joshua, Paige, Tanner and Bradley. Jane loved flowers, but she also loved animals. Donations in her memory may be made to Animals in Distress, 5075 Limeport Pike, Coopersburg, PA 18036. www.nauglefcs.com
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
Betty D. Schwenk, 90 of Quakertown died peacefully at home, Sunday, February 12, 2017. She was the wife of the late William G. Schwenk. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, she was the daughter of the late Herman and Dawn (Kaumeyer) Downs. Betty was formerly employed by the Sears Home Shopping Catalog Store in Quakertown. She was a dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother. A member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Quakertown, Betty was also a friend of Quakertown United Methodist Church. She much enjoyed her outings with the Trinity Butterflies, her trips to the casino, and traveling to Fort Myers, Florida with her late husband. She is survived by two daughters, Barbara (David) Hafler of Quakertown and Pamela (Dan) Phillips of Nashville, Tennessee, a granddaughter, Amanda Hafler, a student at Elizabethtown College, a sister, Dorothy (Joseph) MacVittie of Syracuse, New York, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by brothers, Robert and Gerald, and sister-in-law Tina Downs. Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at 11:00 A.M. at Trinity Lutheran Church 102 N. Hellertown Ave. Quakertown, PA 18951. Call 9:30-11:00 A.M. in the church. Arrangements are in the care of the C. R. Strunk Funeral Home, Inc. (www.crstrunk.com) Quakertown. In lieu of flowers, it was Betty’s wish that contributions be made to the Educational Endowment Fund of Quakertown United Methodist Church, 1875 Freier Road, Quakertown, PA 18951. Reda Litzenberger, 85, of Quakertown, died on Tues., Feb. 14, 2017 at St. Luke’s Hospice House, Bethlehem. She was the widow of Harold Litzenberger. Born in Bedminster, she was a daughter of the late John and Mary (Derstine) Leatherman. Reda was a member of Deep Run Mennonite Church West in Perkasie. She was a gentle soul who never asked for anything, and instead gave her whole heart to her family; and she had a special place in her heart for her grandchildren. Surviving are her daughters: Nancy Mohr, husband Dean; Gerri Litzenberger, husband Kelly Keating; Cindy Litzenberger, husband Ted Barton; Amy Greene, husband Michael; Beth Boling, husband Todd; grandchildren: Greg and Geoff Mohr; Spencer Litzenberger; Chase Keating; Lottie and Ben Barton; Brittany, Madison and Mitchell Greene; Cameron and Alex Hansley; great-grandchildren: MaKenna, Kelsey, Aiden and Everitt; and siblings: Wilson Leatherman, Marie Hange and Della Gross. Memorial contributions may be made to the church. Deep Run Mennonite Church West, 1008 Deep Run Road, Perkasie. www.nauglefcs.com John E. Shurow, 53, of Churchville, for-
merly Quakertown, died Monday Feb. 13 in St. Mary’s Medical Center, Langhorne. Born in Quakertown, he was the son of Jeanette (Docktor) Shurow and the late Paul M. Shurow. He enjoyed vacationing with friends, yard sales, auto shows, a variety of social activities, and spending time with his family. Surviving with his mother, is a brother, Michael of Quakertown; sister Suzanne Deebel & husband Mark of Hummelstown; nieces Alexandra & Madeline and nephew Nicholas and wife Emma. Interment Richlandtown Union Cemetery. Memorial contributions in his name may be made to KenCrest Centers, 960A Harvest Dr., Ste. 100, Blue Bell, PA 19422. www.nauglefcs.com
~Obituaries~
Ronald G. Procht, 72, of Milford Twp., died Sat., Feb. 18th at St. Luke’s Hospital in Allentown. He was the beloved husband of Eleanor (Crouthamel) Procht for the past 50 years. Born in Brooklyn, he was the son of the late Gerhard and Elli (Lehmann) Procht. Ron was a lifetime member of the Trumbauersville Betterment & Social Club and the North Penn Gun Club. He was also a former member of the D&D Hunting Club. With his wife, he is survived by his daughter Bonnie Bright, husband Barry, of Quakertown; granddaughters Tori and Lindsey; sisters Linda Atwood and husband Pete of York and Helga Knox of West Chester; stepbrother Edward Johann and wife Helga of West Chester; and several nieces and nephews. Ron loved his family and adored his granddaughters. He could be found sitting in his garage welcoming friends, neighbors, and especially the little kids in the neighborhood. He loved driving his Farmall H tractor around the block. Ron drove trucks many years for Perkasie Industries and Bracalente Mfg. He will be missed by many. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Trumbauersville Lions Club, PO Box 33, Trumbauersville, PA 18970. www.nauglefcs.com James Henry Dotzenroth, III, 35, of Sinking Spring, died early Monday, February 20, 2017 as a result of a motor vehicle accident. Born in Doylestown, he was the son of Cathy Auer of Sellersville and James H. Dotzenroth, Jr. (Vera Cervellero) of Sinking Spring. Jimmy liked sports of all kinds; and had his own business collecting, trading and selling baseball cards and memorabilia. He loved being a father to his two daughters, Alisha and Alexus of Sellersville; and he was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who was in need. Surviving in addition to his parents and daughters are three sisters: Jaime Dotzenroth of Sellersville, Kimberly Dotzenroth of Quakertown, and Marissa Dotzenroth of Sellersville; and a nephew, Ethan Dotzenroth of Quakertown. Services will be held at a later date at the convenience of the family.
Evelyn A. (Brusius) Bell, 92, of Richland Twp., died Mon., Feb. 20, at home. She was the wife of the late Frank R. Bell, Sr. She is survived by her daughter Linda Sepenthal, husband George, of Richland Twp., and by her son Frank Bell, Jr., wife Julie, of Burlington, NJ. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Upper Bucks SPCA, 60 Reservoir Rd., Quakertown, PA 18951. www.nauglefcs.com William “Bill” Francis Castellon, 94, of Rosedale passed away peacefully in his home on Tuesday, Feb. 21st, with his family by his side. He was the loving husband of the late Doris (Long) Castellon. William was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII. He worked for GE for 40 years. He was a member of Swamp Mennonite Church. His true love was farming and gardening, which he got to enjoy during his long and happy retirement. William was a great husband and father. His children and grandchildren were his greatest joy. He was a strong, steadfast, hardworking, and loving person with huge character. He will live in our hearts forever, and we will love him and miss him so. RIP Dad.
Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.
Edwin Fels, of Quakertown, passed away peacefully at Belle Haven Nursing Home on Saturday, February 25, 2017. He was 96 years old. Born in Quakertown to the late Ernest and Rose (Wolf) Fels, he was also the loving husband of the late Sarah (Kriebel) Fels, who passed away in 1985. Mr. Fels was a well driller and worked for Wonsidler Well Drilling, Inc. for 25 years. He is survived by his three daughters, Nancy Fels, Grace Morgan, and Ruth Smith (Ray), all of Quakertown; four grandchildren, Matt Smith, Christine Brzostowski, Brenda Morgan, and Cindy Huff (Sean); and two great grandchildren, Kaylee and Wyatt Huff. Interment will be in Finland Mennonite Cemetery. Online condolences may be expressed on www.monaghanfuneralhome.com Funeral arrangements entrusted to Monaghan Funeral Home. (215) 679-6400. Anna M. Geiger, 87 of Quakertown, died Wed. Feb 22nd at St. Luke’s Hospice House, Bethlehem. She was the wife of the late Russell L. Geiger. Born in Upper Saucon Twp., she was a daughter of the late John and Leah (Koehler) Bleam. She worked as a sewing machine operator for the Former AG Pants in Perkasie for over 30 years prior to her retirement. She was a member of Salem Mennonite Church, Quakertown. Surviving are her sons, David Geiger, wife Pam of Perkasie, Russell Geiger, wife Donna of Apollo Beach, FL, and Thomas Geiger, wife Dawn of Rehoboth Beach, DE; daughters, Patricia Stump of Roaring Springs, and Joann Geiger of Pennsburg; fifteen grandchildren; nineteen great grandchildren; one great great grandchild; brother, John Bleam, wife Barbara; sister, Ruth Smith. She was predeceased by a son, George Geiger; a daughter, Diane Singleton; and sisters Evelyn Shelly, Janet Schmoyer, and Jane Mack. Memorial contributions can be made to the John Rivers Memorial V.F.W. Post 11322, 41 Belmont Ave., Quakertown, PA 18951. www. nauglefcs.com
Thomas N. Simmers, 54, of Quakertown, died Wed. Feb. 22nd at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia. Born in Doylestown, he was a son of Nancy (Hosler) Dillingham of Doylestown and the late Thomas G. Simmers. He was a truck driver for many years for Werner Enterprises. He was very proud of having achieved a million miles. Surviving with his mother are siblings, Elizabeth Heath, husband Ernest of Quakertown, Deborah Collier, husband Joe of Monks Corner, SC, and Richard Simmers of Green Lane; nieces and nephews, Krista Steffy, Jessica Bergey, and Jennifer Mongold; great nieces and nephews, Jacoby Bergey, Justis Bergey, and Lillian Mongold. Services will be private at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Lung Association, 3000 Kelly Lane, Springfield, IL 62711. Naugle Funeral and Cremation Service, Quakertown is in charge of arrangements. www.nauglefcs.com
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Kathleen Louise Mininno, 69, of Quakertown, died peacefully Saturday, Feb. 25 with her husband and children by her side. She was the loving wife of 42 years to James Mininno. Born June 22, 1947 in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late James and Helen (Hassett) Brittingham. She graduated in 1965 from St. Huberts High School. Kathleen enjoyed working at Cabrini College for the last 22 years watching young adults achieve their dreams and was an active member of St. Isidore’s Parish in Quakertown. Her number one passion was her family. Loving and supporting each in everything they did no matter how big or small, she was their biggest fan. Attending as many events, games, performances of her grandchildren that she possibly could was her greatest joy. Her love and devotion to her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchild was her amazing gift. She also enjoyed gardening, traveling, attending Phillies and Iron Pigs games and spending time with friends. In addition to her husband, she will be greatly missed by her sons, William Olewnik Jr. of Richmond, VA, and Edward Olewnik (Pam) of Harleysville, daughter Lisa Carnesi (Brian) of Pennsburg, and son Bryan Mininno (Lisamarie) of West Chester; 7 Grandchildren, Billy and Samantha Olewnik of Bethlehem, Allie and Sarah Olewnik of Harleysville, Jon and Joe Carnesi of Pennsburg, Drew Mininno of West Chester and Great-grandson Karson Olewnik of Bethlehem, as well as her brother, Robert Brittingham of Philadelphia, many nieces and nephews and lifelong friends. She was proceeded in death by her brother, James Brittingham. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Isidore’s Roman Catholic Church, 603 W. Broad St., Quakertown, PA 18951. Carl T. Papciak, 81, of Coopersburg, died Tues. Feb. 28th at his home. He was the husband of Suzanne (Frank) Papciak for 52 years. Born in Quakertown, he was the son of the late Thomas and Pauline (Povenski) Papciak. He was very proud of his service in the U.S. Army. He worked as an operating engineer with the International Union of Operating Engineers for many years. Surviving with his wife are daughters, Pamela Mitchell, husband Kenneth of Quakertown, Debra Papciak of Berlin, Germany, Dawn Jani, husband Gene of Coopersburg, and Carla Papciak-Glatts, husband Daniel of Coopersburg; grandchildren, Kayla, Jenna Rose, Jordan, Avery, Addyson, and Lauren. He was predeceased by a granddaughter, Pauline Dorothy Glatts. Memorial contributions can be made to Tails of Valor, Paws of Honor, P.O. Box 127, Coopersburg, PA 18036. www.nauglefcs.com
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
Wonderful Wall Designs Using Antiques Integrating antiques, vintage items, and family heirlooms into a home’s interior design aesthetic spark memories and bring dazzle to a room. Don’t be afraid to place something old alongside of something new and contemporary. While there are traditional ways to decorate all four walls of a room like with paintings, prints, wreaths and the like, there are also some non-traditional solutions that can make your walls wonderful. Integrating antiques, vintage items, and family heirlooms into a home’s interior design aesthetic spark memories and bring dazzle to a room. Don’t be afraid to place something old alongside of something new and contemporary. While there are traditional ways to decorate all four walls of a room like with paintings, prints, wreaths and the like, there are also some non-traditional solutions that can make your walls wonderful. And, when it comes to making bedroom walls say wow, use vintage objects in new ways. For instance, make a built-in, storage area or shelf space on your wall, try using whimsical vintage objects. Take a few wellworn yet vintage suitcase—available at flea markets for $15 to $50 each--and carefully cut them in half using a hand saw. Sand paper any rough edges that will touch the wall. Then, attach the half with the handle to your wall studs using wall bracket hardware. A few suitcases hung near each other will give your guest bedroom a travel ready look. Use an old makeup carrying case as a catch all for jewelry and other small keepsakes on a nearby table to complete the look. The result of reusing these vintage travel items will be a nifty and stylish space that even travel accessory designers like Louis Vuitton would love. Forget painting one wall a different color than the other three and consider this feature
wall technique: wall world map! Cut out various pieces of printed wallpaper in the shapes of the world’s continents. Apply the wallpaper shapes as they would appear on the pages of an atlas and create a cool and decorative feature wall. Enhance the cut-out shapes with rub-on lettering to indicate famous cities, landmarks, or places that you have visited. Also, use this feature wall method to make wallpaper cut outs of a color wheel for the bedroom of a budding artist, a map of the United States for a geography fanatic, or a baseball diamond for your favorite little league player. If you want to make a wall of your craft room both functional and fancy, use a hanging metal plate rack to hold rolls of wrapping paper, blank stretched canvases, or empty flea market frames which are ready to be filled with mirrors, needlepoint pictures, or vintage prints. When it comes to antiques, don’t cry over broken antiques or family heirlooms. Don’t trash the broken pieces either. Pick up the pieces and make something useful and special. Broken china plates are common and you can also make a good-looking picture frame from old transferware plates of ironstone ceramic or from red terracotta pottery pieces. Be sure to use a tile grout in a secured wooden frame surround. Don’t forget to wear gloves in order to protect your hands from the sharp broken ceramic pieces. When it comes to antiques, make them part of your home design and keep the memories of loved ones close to heart. Ph.D. antiques appraiser, author, and award-winning TV personality on History channel’s hit treasure-hunting TV show, The Curse of Oak Island, Dr. Lori Verderame hosts antiques appraisal events worldwide. Visit www. DrLoriV.com/Events, www.Facebook.com/ DoctorLori, or call 888-431-1010.
Employment Opportunities
You’ve Got Maids - Hiring commercial nighttime cleaners & daytime residential cleaners. (215) 529-7837 Spor’s General Store – Help Wanted: Waitress/Deli/ Cashier/Lottery. Nights and Weekends. Must be 18 or older. Apply in person. 22 W Broad St, Trumbauersville. Ray Heffentrager Inc. – Full-time Heavy Equipment Operator for small excavation company. Experienced. Benefits. Email obbill49@gmail.com or call 215-679-5676 Edible Arrangements - Hiring Seasonal personal skills, attention to detail, must. Call (215) 536-1298 or stop by mation and to apply. 582 S. West End
Help. Good interand reliability a store for inforBlvd, Quakertown
Ray Heffentrager Inc. – Full-time Laborer for small excavation company. Experienced. Benefits. Email obbill49@gmail.com or call 215-679-5676 Pool Pro - Local pool store seeks service technicians and helpers for upcoming pool season. 1619 West End Blvd, Quakertown, PA 18951 215-536-0456 Woods’ Pools - Local pool builder seeks construction trainees. Experience a plus. technicians and helpers for upcoming pool season. 1619 West End Blvd, Quakertown, PA 18951 215-538-2323 Upper Bucks YMCA - Childcare Assistant Group Supervisor for Pre-K. Full Time Hourly (37.5-40 hours may vary) Rate is commensurate with experience. Benefits include Full Privilege Y Membership, PTO, and Health Care Hiring part time babysitters, art teachers, childcare aides. Call 215-536-YMCA (9622) or stop in to apply. 401 Fairview Avenue, Quakertown. Trinity Great Swamp UCC - PT Organist and Music Ministry Coordinator who possesses a vision to coordinate the musical gifts we have to achieve a creative blended worship experience. Salary is negotiable. Please send resume to P.O. Box 494, 9150 Spinnerstown Road, Spinnerstown, PA 18968, Attention: Sue Roeder or by e-mail to tgsucc@verizon.net. For questions please contact Donald Ruth at 267-251-0292.
Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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Brushing your pet’s teeth – easy as 1, 2, 3! I know, I know….it’s not as easy as it sounds. Trust me, I know! However, there are a few pointers and suggestions that can make it less of a chore for you and your pet! (this includes cats here people!) 1. Choose the right tooth paste – use this to your advantage. There are so many options out there now; fish flavored, chicken flavored, beef flavored – you name it! The flavors help make the whole process that much more acceptable for your pet, so don’t be afraid to try a few different flavors to find one that he/ she seems to like! But remember here that you should be using a PET toothpaste, not a human one – there are additives like fluoride in our toothpastes that can make our pets sick! 2. Start very slowly – at first just let them taste the tooth paste, and that’s it! You can put it on your finger, or with a treat, in a bowl, whatever works! Just start small so they get used to the flavor, and look forward to tasting it every day! 3. Now find the right toothbrush – there are many options here as well! You can go with the old standard of a regular human toothbrush, but they also have dog and cat specific ones that shape better to their mouths and are easier to use. There are also finger brushes (my personal favorite) that have bristles on a little finger cap that really lets you easily get
even into the back of their mouth to brush! Again, try out a few and see which one seems to work the best for you. 4. Get them used to the toothbrush and the action of brushing – this is the hardest part, for sure. Start with just letting them feel the toothbrush with the tooth paste on it. Then after a few days, have them feel how the toothbrush feels against their teeth. Next do very small amounts of movement on their teeth…etc etc. Work your way up (SLOWLY!) until they are comfortable with you actually getting in there and brushing all around all of their teeth. Lots of praise here, and patience! 5. Get into a routine – ideally you should brush EVERY DAY. Think about it – you brush your teeth every day, right? So though it seems daunting, that should be the goal. Now if you can get into a habit of doing it even every other day, that is still proven to prevent tartar build up – but the key here is regular brushing! Brush yours, then brush theirs! Sounds easy, right?? I know some pets really hate it, and it seems totally unrealistic – but start small, little goals, and I think you can all do it! In honor of dental months – give it a try! Your pets’ teeth will thank you! Dr. Mehaffey and partner Dr. Jen Heller own and operate the Pennridge Animal Hospital on Ridge Road in Perkasie and can be reached at 267-272-9996. They also founded Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue.
BuckyGrams: hot dog, catsup, bear claw, monkey bread, buffalo wings, ratatouille, pigs in a blanket, corn dog, hushpuppies, Swedish fish, chocolate turtles, gummy bears Hidden Message: Time for a snack! Box Puzzle: In between jobs.
Prom Night & Concerts
My dog sister Brandy and I were asked to help out at the ‘Night To Shine’ event held at Morningstar Fellowship on February 10th. It was a nationwide event of a prom night for people with special needs. I was very excited to hear I could wear my formal outfit and help by spreading love to all the people who needed it. This picture was from that night. I would also like to make known that Valley Choral Society is performing FREE concerts in March. They are March 18th at St Marks Lutheran in Pennsburg at 730PM and March 19th at Trinity Lutheran in Perkasie at 400PM. These are freewill offering concerts of Broadway songs. Hope you all get to go to one of them. Love M.J.
Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
QNB Announces Promotions, New Staff
Suzanne Weisberg has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, Human Resources at QNB Bank. Weisberg has been with the Bank since 2014, most recently serving as Vice President, Human Resources. She is responsible for directing the activities of the Human Resources Department Weisberg has worked in the banking industry in various roles for more than 26 years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Temple University as well as multiple certificates from the Pennsylvania Banker’s Association. Weisberg is an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and Great Swamp Fish & Game. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and resides in Quakertown with her family. QNB is also pleased to announce the promotion of Tiffany Pompei to the position of Vice President, Compliance Analyst. In her new role, Tiffany will work directly with the SVP, Chief Compliance Officer to oversee the QNB Bank Compliance Management System, functioning with independence and objectivity to review and evaluate compliance issues and concerns within the organization. Her previous position was Vice President, Branch Manager at QNB’s Dublin Village Office.
Tiffany has been with QNB for over 13 years. She graduated from Upper Perkiomen High School and has taken numerous American Institute of Banking courses. She is also pursuing a degree in business at the University of Phoenix. As an active member in her community, Tiffany serves on the Board of Discover Dublin, Pennridge Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis of Upper Bucks. Tiffany currently resides in Quakertown with her family. Lea Garrard was recently named Vice President, Branch Manager at QNB’s Warminster Branch. Lea is responsible for the efficient, effective management of the Branch, as well as coaching Branch staff, developing new business and retaining and expanding existing relationships. Lea has been in banking for 29 years. In her previous employment at BB&T Bank, Lea served as a Cluster Market Leader. She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Lea lives in Perkasie with her family. She remains active in the community as a member of the Warminster Rotary Club as well as the Greater BucksMont Chamber of Commerce. She also enjoys participating in the annual Bridge to Beach Bike-a-thon with Team Medi-Dose in support of the American Cancer Society.
Changing Times It is amazing to me how time stands still for no one. Each day I find myself pondering over that reality. I am always saying, “I can’t believe it’s Friday already,” or, “It’s March? Didn’t we just celebrate Christmas?” Adulthood brings many responsibilities that consume our lives, and because of that, we lose track of time. A friend once told me that it begins when you start having children, and if you think about that, it is true. Infants’ transition from those helpless little babies to toddlers, to preschool, to school age, to adolescence, and in no time they are graduating from college, marrying, and making lives of their own as adults. We watch our children grow up much too quickly, and then the same process occurs with our grandchildren. My oldest grandson will be ten years old in a few months. I was there, at the hospital, when he was born, and that was not ten years ago. So, it is a cycle of life. I have a tendency to believe that life’s happenings are unique to my generation; however, as I reflect on growing up in the country, the elders in my family, and in our neighborhood had the same experiences. We all remember that grandparent, or auntie, or distant cousin who only came to visit a few times a year. The first thing they would say was, “Oh, my! Look how big you’ve gotten.” And then, in my family, there was the auntie with the bright red lipstick who would say, “You sure are growing up fast. Come here and give Auntie Bea some sugar,” and my cheek was permanently tattooed with bright red lips. Oh, how I disliked that. The more I reminisce about my past, the more I realize that everything under the sun remains the same. All the things that I experience today is a replica of past generations. This April will be forty-four years since my mother died. I often wonder what she
Night at the Museum
The whole third-grade class at Pfaff Elementary School in Spinnerstown recently put on a wax museum exhibit event where the students chose and portrayed famous people from history such as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Ford, Willie Mays, Princess Grace, and many others. Pictured here are Emma Roll who played Helen Keller, Lily Bures as human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, and Nathan Bezila as the King himself, Elvis Presley. photos by julie roll
would have to say about the “Uptown” that she visited twice a month to do her shopping. I know she would be lost because all of the developments and shopping centers were corn fields when her family moved to East Rockhill Township in the 1930’s (way before my time). After she crossed the railroad tracks, going into town, she would be looking for The Palace Theater (which would be familiar to her), Woolworth’s, Hinkle & Biehn, Merchant’s National Bank, The New York Store, Karlton Cut-Rate Drug Store, Karlton Theater, the old Fire House, Hager’s Meats, and all of the businesses that she once frequented. I can hear her saying “What are they doing? Trying to make our little town into a big city?” But then, when I traveled into town with her in the early 1950’s, I thought it “was” New York City. I have similar thoughts as I watch the transformation of “Uptown” Quakertown. I see the demolition of the old K&L building at the corner of Broad and Front Streets, and the old factory on 10th and Juniper Streets; the former Route 309 building that used to be Prudential Insurance Company, House of Wang Chinese restaurant, and finally Guitar Villa has been torn down and replaced with a much needed Urgent Care Center – MedExpress. Our town is rapidly changing. Old businesses are closing, and new ones are opening. Children are growing up and moving away; older generations are moving out, as new generations move in; family and friends are dying. All of these occurrences are the process of life, and I ask myself daily, “How am I processing these changing times?” In the meantime, spring is seventeen days away. “Spring breathes new life into the world around us.” You can contact Jacque at: jacque@ubfp.org
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
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The answers to the puzzles on this page are found elsewhere in this issue.
Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.
Where Can I Get my UBFP?
Balloon Blueberry Brussel Sprout Bubble Cantaloupe Cherry Coconut Couscous
Donut Holes Epcot Eyeball Globe Grape Grapefruit Holly Berry Marble
Meatball Moon Nonpareils Onion Orange Orb Pearl Peas
Peppercorns Planet Snowball Sourball Sports Balls Tootsie Roll Pop
QUAKERTOWN A-Plus Mini Market Borough Hall Beer City Caitlyn & Cody’s Diner Classic Staffing Chick Fil-A Dairy Queen Dominick’s Pizza Edible Arrangements First UCC Church Friendly Book Store Giant Markets (309/313) Grocery Outlet The Grundy House Hampton Inn Holiday Inn Express Independence Court James Michener Library JoAnne’s Frame Shop John’s Plain & Fancy Let’s Steep w/ M.E. (Q-Mart) Liberty Thrift Store McCoole’s Red Lion Inn Moyer’s Shoes Penn Community Bank Pep Boys Service Center Quality Inn & Suites Q’town Family Restaurant QNB Bank Quaker Cleaners Quakertown Alive! Quakertown Farmers Mkt Redner’s Market
Rep. Craig Staats’ office Sal’s Pizza Randa Sellersville Auction Sine’s 5 & 10 St. Luke’s Bone & Joint St. Luke’s Hospital Spring Hill Suites Swann’s Pantry The Souper Bowl (Q-Mart) Top Star Express Upper Bucks Senior Center Upper Bucks YMCA Upper Bucks Chamber Yum Yum Donuts TRUMBAUERSVILLE Borough Hall Christ Lutheran Church Fino’s La Cantina Spor’s General Store RICHLANDTOWN Seven-Eleven Penn Community Bank Phoebe Meadow Glen 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 Food Markets SOUDERTON Care & Share Shoppes SILVERDALE Green Street Barber Shop DOYLESTOWN Main Street Book Store DUBLIN QNB Bank Shop ‘N Bag OTTSVILLE NAPA of Ottsville Wehrung’s 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
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
Relax and Listen to the Background Noise I have ringing in my ears. Well, it’s not really ‘ringing.’ It’s hard to describe the sound I hear; a buzzing, a hissing, a metallic humming. It’s tinnitus, which is defined as a “subjective or pathological sensation in the ears.” It’s a constant tone but varies in intensity. It never goes away. It’s always there in the background, buzzing away like the “background noise” of the universe that’s left over from the Big Bang. Appropriately, I have it because of big bangs; because of gunfire, because of not protecting my ears as a kid while target shooting, and because of decades of discharging high powered shotguns and rifles while hunting. There is nothing I can do about my damaged ears at this point. The ‘ringing’ doesn’t bother me. I don’t have to consciously ignore it. I seldom notice it, unless I ‘listen’ for it. It’s just something I have to live with; along with having to say “Huh?” a lot because I’m more than half deaf, too. I’ve heard about people who have been driven mad by tinnitus, like the guy in Poe’s story, the Tell Tale Heart. Many times I’ve focused on the sound and tried to put myself in the position of someone who can’t ignore it and goes crazy. I can only ‘listen’ to it for a little while. My mind soon drifts on to other things and I don’t notice it anymore. At first I wondered why I didn’t suffer more stress over the constant background ‘buzz.’ I imagined someone producing an external sound like that. I’m pretty sure I’d go nuts quickly, or at least have the urge to beat up somebody. On the other hand, a steady droning noise often calms me, can lull me to sleep. I got thinking, maybe since I’m stuck with having to hear it all the time, that’s the way I’ve adapted to it. Maybe I’ve subconsciously accepted it as a safe and comfortable sound. Maybe it relieves tension rather than creates it and actually helps me to relax. I hope so, because I imagine I’ll continue to hear it, even after I’m completely deaf. After all, it is only a “subjective sensation,” and not a real sound. I’m a relaxed sort of fellow. One personality characteristic a lot of people tell me I have is composure. I seldom get excited or riled up. In crisis situations at work, I’m one of the supervisors the guys claim they’d rather have around. I don’t over react. I remain calm and logical, address problems with reason and confidence. Nothing exacerbates a situation more than having the person in charge red faced and panicked--which is way too common around here. I didn’t really notice that tendency on my part until it was pointed out. I began to pay attention to my thought process while in a ‘panic’ situation--which also is way too common around here. I found that my mind works at an extra high speed under pressure and in abnormal situations. I envision possibilities, potentials and mentally leap out in front of the action to anticipate and speculate future events. “If this happens, then that will happen.” “If we do this, it will prevent that,” etc. It all happens in an instant. After I’ve processed and ‘experienced’ the possible scenarios, I issue
instructions and relax. There is nothing more that can be done, so why get excited? In most cases, rest and relaxation are important for mental and physical health. What precisely R&R is, is difficult to say, though. It varies from person to person. Some would say clearing their mind and meditating relaxes them. Some would say, strenuous exercise and the exhausted euphoria that follows is relaxing. Others believe an absence of mental and physical exercise is best to achieve relaxation. I’ve experienced them all. There seems to be one common denominator. People are seldom relaxed unless they are involved in an activity that makes them happy. I like to meditate. It’s the main reason I love Quaker Meetings for Worship so much. However, my mind is seldom blank (don’t forget that background noise. I tend to ‘heard’ it more clearly when it’s quiet and my mind is still). My meditations are definitely relaxing, but it takes a strenuous mental exercise to achieve an affective psychological state. It’s wonderful when I reach the Light, but I’ve begun to think it’s the mental activity that really makes me happy. I’ve achieved the euphoria that physical activity produces, but I’ve come to believe that the temporary state is cause by chemicals (and when my heart rate is up, that background noise is more intense and louder). Since I’m getting older and my knees and back hurt a lot, I’m wondering if maybe I should just ingest chemicals to reach that frame of mind. During walks, or tread mill activities, my mind is going a mile a minute, so really, that happiness comes from my ability to just let my mind work and wander. I love skiing and do it fast and hard. During a downhill run my mind is intensely focused, rapidly taking in information, like “patch of ice ahead,” and quickly responds. So, again, it’s a mental activity that makes me happy. I’ve lain around doing nothing a lot, too. I can’t say it relaxes me. I always feel like I’m wasting something (and I tend to listen to the ‘noise’ more). One day, after work I was lounging on the recliner in the living room with a magazine in my lap and the television on. I was feeling pretty relaxed. I was physically comfortable. I was reading an article on the Boer War and was watching a news report on the European economy. My mind had drifted off to Winston Churchill, who was involved in both. Two of the kids were hassling over some toy in the bedroom and my wife was yakking at me from the kitchen. Suddenly, my wife popped her head in and said, “You haven’t heard a work I’ve said, have you?” I quickly repeated back to her the last two sentences she’d said, hollered in at the kids to learn to share their toys, told her about Bulgaria going broke, told her a little about the Dutch in South Africa during the Boer War and asked her a question about Churchill. She glared at me and said, “Why don’t you get up and go do something.” “Come on. I worked all day,” I argued. “I need some time to relax.” More articles by Jack H. Schick can be found at Searchwarp.com or Soulofwit.com
Reptile Club Scales Up Activities, Seeks New Members
The owner of Osbaldeston Pets of the World, Julie Osbaldeston, in Doylestown gave of her time to a group of 4H children in Bucks County. The members of Scales & Tails Reptile Club took a field trip to her store for a reptile encounter. She was nice enough to tell and show the club about the many different reptiles in her store. The children got to see and pet a lot of different reptiles. They also learned a lot of valuable information about each reptile as Ms. Julie took them out to speak to the members. They got to see a leopard gecko, a bearded dragon, a Chinese water dragon, Basilisk and many more animals. The members learned about many aspects of feeding and caring for reptiles. Mrs. Osbaleston also suggested that a good first reptile would be a leopard gecko or juvenile bearded dragon for kids. The club’s community service project this month was to collect towels, sheets and blankets for an animal shelter. This is the club to be a part of for anyone who enjoys reptiles! The club has a lot of fun things planned for this summer. When the weather is nice, they go outside and into the parks to look
under rocks for native species. The members of this club have one thing in common, they love to learn about reptiles! Owning a reptile is not a requirement. This club follows Penn State curriculum for learning and has of fun together. Members range from age 8-18 in 4H. Looking for a reptile club to join and have fun with other reptile lovers? Contact scalestailsbc4h@gmail.com This club meets once a month on the 2nd Sunday of the month locally in the Perkasie area.
March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
Quakertown Cares Has Successful 21st Season BY JANE THOMPSON-SMITH For more than two decades “Quakertown Cares” has collected money to help those in need in the Quakertown area, and as its 2016 campaign comes to an end, the collecting and helping continues. This year more than $46,000 has been raised! “Quakertown Cares” helps families, seniors and veterans in need within the area of the Quakertown Community School District. Truly a local campaign, contributions are collected from area individuals, families, organizations, churches and businesses. Originally a holiday campaign, collections are now welcomed throughout the year, and distributions to those in need are also made all year long. Giving to “Quakertown Cares” this year so far are the Zeigler Family Foundation with $15,000, and a Quakertown business which wishes to remain anonymous with $10,000. Both give their generous gifts annually! The Quakertown church, Morning Star Fellowship, contributed $4, 771 to benefit the students at Quakertown Elementary School, and the 100 Acre Wood Foundation Trust gave $2,000, an annual gift. QNB has given $1000 to “Quakertown Cares” every year since the fundraiser’s inception, along with numerous, greatly appreciated inkind contributions. The Quakertown School District has also consistently given in-kind gifts since “Quakertown Cares” was begun in 1995. The Quakertown Business Networking Group (QBNG) gave $1,000 this year, as did an anonymous Richland Township resident who gives this gift annually. The Milford Middle School staff gave $1,060. In addition, numerous Quakertown Community School District staff members gave to the cause through payroll deductions. The Trumbauersville Elementary TPO gave $845, bringing its five-year total to a truly impressive $4,692, and a Milford Township couple gave $500. The Missions Committee of the Quakertown United Methodist Church gave $500, and the local accounting firm Hutchinson, Gillahan and Freeh contributed $425 along with many in-kind gifts over the life of the campaign. There were also anonymous contributions of $500, $400, $325 and $250, in addition to five $200 and two $150 gifts. Scott Godshalk and his Regency Manor neighbors gave $350, a Milford Township couple gave a $300 annual contribution with an employer matching gift, and David and Arlen Freeman gave $250. Thomas and Barbara Bisko donated $200, as did Stacie Schantz and Diane and Paul Golrick. The Kiwanis Club of Upper Bucks gave $100, and there were numerous contributions of $25-$150. And what has “Quakertown Cares” made of all of this giving by community for community?
During this year, the campaign provided assistance to 180 senior citizens and veterans and 215 school families, and supported Head Start. It held a joint holiday campaign with Quakertown School District, coordinated by district social worker Kirsten Cochran. $15,000 in Target gift cards were distributed to students in need. Recipients are referred to “Quakertown Cares” by school guidance counselors, community social workers, veterans organizations and the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging. In addition, every year the campaign supports seventh grade students at Milford and Strayer middle schools who would not otherwise be able to attend Outdoor School for financial reasons. The “Quakertown Cares” committee hand delivered Giant food store gift cards to the 152 residents of the housing facility, The Grundy House. “Cares” also handed out 100 turkeys at Quakertown’s Classic Staffing Services, owned by Bob Zirinsky, the Monday before Thanksgiving. Thanks to Bob for his generous turkey contribution! The campaign held a November craft fair with 21 registered crafters and lots of good food at Quakertown High School to raise funds for the cause. In addition, a craft fair AND breakfast, coordinated by “Quakertown Cares” committee member Lisa Green, will be held April 1 from 8a to 1p, also at the high school. Plan to attend and help your neighbors in need! A similar craft fair/breakfast combo was held two years ago and was a real hit! Breakfast will include freshly made eggs with peppers and onions and fresh pancakes! Raffles will be held with prizes donated by the crafters and community. There is still room to get a table and sell your crafts. If you are interested, call Lisa at 215-536-4972. “Quakertown Cares” continues to support students in the Quakertown Borough’s ‘Shop with a Cop’ program, and has again this year sent $1,000 to the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging Foundation, whose social workers assist impoverished seniors in the Quakertown area. “Quakertown Cares” also gave 15 local veterans $100 Giant food store cards. “Quakertown Cares” was begun by the original Free Press newspaper. It is overseen by a small group of volunteers. There are no administrative expenses; every dollar raised goes to Quakertown area residents in need. Anyone interested in contributing to the cause may do so by sending a check made out to “Quakertown Cares” to: Quakertown Cares, c/o QNB, P.O. Box 9005, Quakertown, PA 18951. “Quakertown Cares” is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All contributions are tax-deductible, and all contributors will receive a written receipt.
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The Atlantis Series I wanted to tell you about a great Middle grade series I was just introduced to. I am so jazzed about this awesome series! Check out my review below! Atlantis Rising Series: Atlantis Saga #1 By TA Barron 384 pages - ages 9+ Published by Philomel Books September 26, 2013 Synopsis from Publisher- In a magical land called Ellegandia, a young boy named Promi scrapes by, stealing pies, cakes and sweets to survive. But little does he know that his country is a pawn in an ages-old war between good and evil, battled both in the spirit realm and in the human world. Harboring secrets of his own, Promi teams up with a courageous girl named Atlanta and the two vow to save their land—and each other—no matter the cost. But their vow has greater repercussions than they ever could imagine—in fact, it may just bring about the creation of Atlantis, an island cut off from the rest of the world, where magic reigns supreme. Atlantis In Peril Series: Atlantis Saga #2 By TA Barron 272 pages - ages 9+ Published by Philomel Books May 5, 2015 Synopsis from Publisher- In Atlantis Rising, Promi and Atlanta saved their homeland by transforming it into the magical island of Atlantis. They had hoped that would keep it out of the clutches of the evil spirit warlord Narkazan. But Narkazan has returned, more determined than ever to conquer the spirit realm and Atlantis as well. Will the destiny of the mystical isle lie in the boat of Greek sailors who wash up on shore? The powers of the ethereal oceanglass? Or will the growing bond between Promi and Atlanta cause the strongest magic? Atlantis Lost Series: Atlantis Saga #3 By TA Barron 224 pages - ages 9+ Published by Philomel Books November 8, 2016 Synopsis from Publisher- The veil between the Spirit Realm and the mortal world has fallen, and the evil lord Narkazan is primed to claim the magical Starstone for himself once and for all. But when tragedy befalls Promi’s newly reunited family, he knows that he can’t let Narkazan ruin everything his parents held dear. With his friends beside him, Promi battles Narkazan in the Spirit Realm, to ensure that the Starstone remains safe from
Narkazan’s mortal followers. But how far will Promi have to go to keep the world and the people he loves safe? What I Thought About the Series- Wow. Mr. Barron is a fabulous writer - I couldn’t put any of these books down. I read all of these in two days. They were that good. The worst part of the series was that you got incredibly attached to all of the characters...but you knew what was going to happen in the last book (Guess what? Atlantis sinks!). And that made it hard to read on...but you couldn’t stop. I tried and I failed. Mr. Barron has a writing style
that gets the reader involved, and keeps you on your toes. Mr. Barron has done a marvelous job of taking mythology, magic, and realism and tossing them all together in a big melting pot. He created a culture where every type of person and animal lived. He created a religion for that culture, with spirits for them to pray to. He created a government for that culture. Only to destroy it all in the end. Promi is a character you can empathize with, seeing as he is a sort of honor-bound/ Robin Hood-like thief. He only steals from those that deserve it, and in the book, there are quite a few people that deserve it. After all, the religious government is almost completely corrupt. They make for a good villain, where everyone reading despises them. Atlanta is a great supporting character who is the moral backbone for Promi, as he goes from a selfish thief only looking out for himself to a truly caring hero. It is a marvelous transformation. The series is written in a satisfying way. I found it heartbreaking, however, what was happening to Atlantis in Book 2, with foreigners industrializing it, and also polluting it. Those scenes were written to engage your emotions, and are most likely a stance against the wickedness of humans ruining our planet. If so, then we need it. Atlantis was on the way of having its magic ruined forever. Why let Earth’s natural magic be put to waste? To sum it all up, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series. Mr. Barron has made a fan out of me, and I will continue to look for more of Mr. Barron’s work, particularly his Merlin series. For more on books and reading visit my website at ThisKidReviewsBooks.com
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• Upper Bucks Free Press • March 2017
Enterprising 5th Grader Makes Slime and Shares the Wealth
BY CHRISTOPHER BETZ
Kids today keep themselves busy in plenty of ways. Many participate in sports. Some dance. Others are involved in Boy or Girl Scouts. Some play musical instruments, while others enjoy competing against one another in the latest online game. This one makes slime – lots of it – and apparently there is a market for this stretchy, clammy goop. Who knew? 11 year old Caroline Harmonosky, a fifth grader at Richland Elementary in Quakertown, likes to tinker and see how things interact with each other. “I like to do weird things, like experiment with things around the house,” says Caroline, “It’s cool to see what happens when you mix stuff together.” One of those things is making slime, a mixture of household products combined to make an elastic, gooey, and colorful compound that is fun to play with. Caroline’s foray into slime-making came out of necessity. “They sell slime at the store, but my mom wouldn’t buy me any,” Caroline remarks. Caroline’s mom, Christina, concurs, “There is no way I was going to buy that stuff. We didn’t have a lot of room,” noting that they share their home with extended family, and that their last home was a bit smaller than their current one. But Caroline was allowed to buy the slime herself with her own money, maybe something Christina thought might not happen. She was right. Caroline began researching the finer points of making slime on Youtube. “I watched a ton of videos about how to make it. There’s a lot of different ways people do it. I kinda picked different parts of how they were doing it. It was cool to see what happens when you mix different ingredients. Some were too watery and other ones were too sticky,” says Caroline. Through trial and error, Caroline refined her craft to make what she considers to be the best slime available, and she wasn’t about to keep her creation to herself. “I first started sharing the slime with friends in fourth grade. Kids liked it and some of them wanted to buy it,” says Caroline. No doubt a lightbulb moment. This was a good thing. Caroline enjoyed making slime so much that she had a ton of it at home. She needed to unload some product and so a business was born. Caroline markets her product under the brand ‘Caroslime,’ a name she and her mom came up with together. She packages it in two ounce containers and sells it for a dollar. Each container bears a label with Caroline’s logo and only her very best slime. “If she makes slime that doesn’t meet her standards, she doesn’t use it. She doesn’t even give it away,” remarks Christina. Quality control is important. So is market research. “I’ve tried some of the ones in the store. Some were hard to get out of the package. Other ones were too watery and would break when you stretched them.” Apparently Caroline may also have some local competition from a student in another school. “I ordered some of hers to see how it was. It was OK, but mine is better.” Confidence. Caroline is not alone in her assertion. Positive video reviews of her Caroslime by
other kids can be found online. The proof is in the…uh… slime. Caroline has sold over $270 worth of the stuff since officially launching her enterprise in December, $31 during Christmas week alone. She has, at the time of this interview, fulfilled 43 orders directly to people in her school. Her exact formulation remains a closely guarded trade secret, but it is important to note that Caroslime contains no borax as does appear in other homebrewed slimes. Borax has been known to cause skin and eye irritation and may cause difficulty breathing if inhaled. For Caroline, Caroslime is not all business. She likes to give back to her community, too. She has donated half of her sales to the K.I.D.S. (Kids Involved in Doing Something) program, a summer day camp run by the borough of Quakertown, a practice she pledges to continue. She presented a check for $134.50 to the borough last month from her December and January sales. When asked why she chose to support K.I.D.S., she remarked, “I go to K.I.D.S. Sometimes the equipment gets broken because people are not gentle. I think if we have good things, then more kids will be interested, which will mean more money [for the program], and then more kids will come because of the good stuff we have.” Quakertown’s Parks and Recreation Coordinator, Ryan Sevenski, offers, “Caroline Harmonosky’s selflessness at such a young age is truly remarkable. The work she is doing is a reflection of her character and the kind of impact the K.I.D.S. Camp program seeks to make.” You are likely to see much more of Caroline in the coming months. She intends to set up a Slime Stand (like a lemonade stand, but with slime) outside her home and at events like Arts Alive! in Downtown Quakertown. She hopes that FOX29 will come back to broadcast their morning show in Quakertown as they have twice before. A little media coverage wouldn’t hurt. The business of Caroslime is something of a family affair. Caroline is in charge of research and development, manufacturing, and is the CEO. Her five year old brother Spencer performs product testing. Mom Christina is in charge of finances, and Caroline’s dad Mark describes himself as an investor. Christina remarks, “She is learning a lot about business, especially that there are costs involved to make this stuff. The ingredients, the packaging, the labels. We have a checking account dedicated to this.” According to Caroline, the future of Caroslime is bright. She intends to work on new formulations that include tactile ingredients like beads and Styrofoam pellets. She has also begun experimenting with scented slimes by using essential oils. Offering larger quantities and more colors are also in the plan. You may well wonder how you can get your hands on some Caroslime. Visit their Facebook at: Facebook.com/caroslime5 or check her out on Instagram @slime_nerd_54 to learn more about Caroline’s mission and plans for her product. See what Caroline is up to and support this enterprising young lady with a big heart. When Caroline isn’t working with slime, she enjoys a number of other less slippery activities including dance, tumbling, travel soccer, softball, and CCD prep at her church.
Harley’s Haven
Meet Quinn!
Poor Quinn has been with us a few months now, and we are struggling to find her the forever home she deserves!! Quinn is a 2-3 year old lab/pitty mix who is spayed and up to date on vaccines. She is an amazing girl - she is mellow and sweet, house trained, crate trained, and awesome with kids! Her one negative is that she can be dog selective, but she does like some dogs, they need to have a personality that works with hers, that’s all! Contact us today for more info on this sweet girl!
Meet Brutus!
Brutus Beans, at your service! This handsome mug has the best underbite, and is the sweetest guy! Brutus is about 1 year old and is a pitty mix of some kind who is neutered and up to date on vaccines. He LOVES his family and gets very attached and protective of them - due to this fact, he would do best in a home without children, and with a strong owner who can teach him that he doesn’t need to protect them! He is totally house trained, crate trained, and is wonderful on a leash! If you are looking for a furever friend, give Harley’s Haven a call today at (267) 354-5204.
2017 Nissan Rogue Nissan’s Rogue midsize SUV has been the company’s best seller for three straight years. With attractive pricing, good cargo capacity, stylish interior and decent fuel economy for an AWD, it rates as a good buy. Offered in S, SV and SL trim levels, we tested the mid-level SV that differs from the top-line SL that comes standard with leather seating, heated steering wheel, 18inch wheels and a few more advanced safety qualities. Despite the cloth seating, the SVs’ were heated, a feature that is somewhat of a rarity on many cars with fabric seats. But the SV isn’t void of the most wanted features todays car buyers want. It comes with Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (two important safety features), Brake Assist, keyless ignition, Bluetooth along with hands-free text messaging, remote engine start (nice to have on freezing mornings) and many more standard features. After an easy and low 19-inch step-in, Rogue’s cabin is comfy, attractive and quiet. The front seats have adequate lateral support while the backs are similar in comfort for two adults. The vertical stack houses a 7-inch touchscreen that serves the audio, apps, GPS nav and a rearview camera with Nissan’s “Birds Eye” surround-view that shows the perimeter of the vehicle. This in itself is a nice safety feature over just a rearview camera. And an item many other car makers have copied. There’s also a smaller display nestled between the gauges for driver information and safety messages. HVAC controls are easy to use without having to consult the owners’ manual. And, unlike many competitors in this class, Rogue has an AWD Lock that distributes torque equally to the front and rear wheels and changes automatically depending on road conditions. The Lock feature also turns off automatically when driving at high speed. The AWD Lock is beneficial if getting stuck in deep snow or mud. The back seat slides fore and aft and they recline. Behind them, Rogue’s cargo area measures a spacious 35 inches deep, 41.75 wide and 34 deep. Flip the 60/40 seat backs and depth extends to 67 inches. The cargo floor is comprised of two pieces to allow flipping the rearmost panel up to hold grocery bags or other items in place, plus serves as an organizer. There are also
notches on the sides of the cargo wall that allow inserting the panels for two-tire loading spaces after an easy 30-inch load height. If you require additional seating, a third row is optionally available on S and SV models only. The AWD SV is equipped with a 2.5-liter, 170-hp four-cylinder that generates 174 lb/ft of torque. When coupled to the standard CVT automatic transmission, EPA gives Rogue mileage ratings of 25 city, 32-highway mpg. The combination produced decent, albeit linear acceleration from a standing stop. Perhaps it could be livelier had Nissan used a traditional trans, but then they wouldn’t have been able to attain the attractive mileage figures. So powered, Rogue has been independently timed at 0-60 in a casual 9.3 seconds. Added to this, Rogue carries a meager tow capacity of 1,000 pounds. As for ride and handling, the ride on Hankook 17-inch tires is sedan smooth and quiet. Handling on the other hand, is on the loose
side, meaning there’s some body lean in sharp, quick turns although it remains sure-footed. Speaking of which, with an 8.2-inch undercarriage clearance, Rogue can handle somewhat deep snow. Now comes the impressive part. Rogue base-priced at $26,590. After adding the SV Premium Package that throws in NissanConnect with nav and mobile apps, Nissan Voice recognition, SiriusXM Traffic, Travel Link, the heated steering wheel, Moving Object Detection and Motion Activated Liftgate (slide your foot under the rear bumper and the gate opens), this adds $1,380 to the price. Throw in a floor mats with cargo area protector for $225 and the bottom line reflects $29,095 with delivery. A particularly reasonable price for a nicely loaded AWD SUV. Rogue SV also garnered four stars in the government’s overall vehicle score; four for frontal driver crash, three for passenger; five each for side crash; and four for rollover. For the amount of content, there aren’t very many comparable midsize SUVs so compellingly priced. Nick Hromiak is an automotive freelance
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March 2017 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
Quakertown Alive! Issues Call for Artists Quakertown Alive! is preparing for its 17th annual Arts Alive! juried art show and spring festival and is issuing a “Call for Artists” to enter the event before May 15. Arts Alive! is scheduled for May 20, with a May 21 raindate. All media are accepted, including: jewelry, photography, fiber arts, woodcraft, glass, and pottery. All artwork and crafts must be original creations. Interested artists and crafters should visit Quakertown Alive!’s website, quakertownalive.com to download their copies. Questions should be directed to the QA! office at 215-536-2273 or michele@quakertownalive. com. Several awards will be presented during the event. In 2015, Quakertown Alive! instituted the Tonya Rupell Award for Jewlery in memorial of the late co-chair of the event who
passed away unexpectedly. Also awarded is the Essence of Upper Bucks Award, presented to the artist who the judges feel best captures the spirit of the area in his artwork. Cash prizes are attached to several awards. Arts Alive! is sponsored by local business and organizations including QNB Bank, St. Luke’s Hospital, Penn Community Bank, Kulp Roofing & Construction, Gorski Engineering, Cress Gas, and New Vitae Wellness & Recovery. The Arts Alive! juried art show and spring festival is on May 20 from 10AM – 4PM on the 200 – 300 blocks of West Broad Street and the 100 block of East Broad Street. The event also includes live all-day entertainment on two stages, children’s activities, and a wine & beer tasting area.
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Did you know?
The first St. Patrick’s Day parade wasn’t in Ireland. It was in Boston in 1737. The largest parade in the United States, held since 1762, is in New York City, and draws more than one million spectators. Green is associated with Saint Patrick’s Day because it is the color of Spring, of Ireland, and of the shamrock.