upper bucks free press • september 2012

It’s time for another school year to begin. What is/was your favorite subject in school?

Dan KrosznerLansDaLe CathoLiC 2006

History. Science.

tayLor Benetzstrayer Ms, 8th GraDe

interviews and photos by michele buono

CLauDette BarinGer

QuaKertown hs 1971

English and Home Economics.

Pete KrosznerLansDaLe CathoLiC 2008

Lunch.

“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”

- Benjamin Franklin

Now that’s a whole lot of Geissingers! Turn to page 14 to find out how this happened.photo submitted by krista geissinger

These musicians will do anything for a buck! Find out why they need the money on page 10.photo submitted by karen quinn

2 • Upper Bucks Free Press • September 2012

Upper Bucks Community EventsSeptember 1

AARK Wildlife Fundraiser for new Beaver Enclosure, High End Estate Sale of art, electronics, office & patio furniture, light-ing fixtures, 8am-12noon at 1531 Upper Stump Rd, Chalfont, 267-871-5273

Cross Members Car Club Cruise Night, 5pm-9pm (weather permitting), Calvary Church, 820 Route 113, Souderton, free, all welcome

September 7

1st Annual Arthritis Golf Tournament, 12noon, Gilbertsville Golf Club, $80/person includes all Greens fees, Cart, Prizes & Steak Dinner, benefits Camp JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis), Bill 215-439-6509 or 215-574-3060 x4724

Penny Party, doors open 6pm, Tylersport Fire Co. Ladies Aux., 125 Ridge Rd, Tylersport, $1/donation, 215-257-5900 x6

September 8

Yard Sale at Tville Social & Betterment Club, 8am-?, (set-up time 7am, $8/space, $10/under tent, bring table), no early birds, 2000 Oak Drive, Trumbauersville, 267-733-7890, r/d Sept 15

Dublin Borough 100th Anniversary Parade, Route 313, 1pm, Info: 215-570-7917 or email [email protected]

Christmas in September! 9am-12noon at Franconia Heritage, benefits local mis-sionary, Info: [email protected] or www.normandareynolds.com

Peaches & Stuff Festival, 11am-5pm at BranchCreek Community Church, kids’ activities, hot air ballooning, food. 100 Main St, Harleysville, 215-256-0100, Free!

Chicken BBQ/Bake Sale, 4pm-7pm, Quakertown United Methodist, 1875 Freier Rd, Qtwn, $9/adult, $4/children, eat-in or take-out, Benefits missions

Night at the Races, doors open 6pm, Community Fire Co #1, 333 Delaware Rd, Riegelsville, $25/person includes food & games, proceeds benefit new fire equipment

Firefighter Olympics by Richlandtown Fire Co., Benner Hall, 1260 Cherry Rd, Richlandtown. Six area fire companies compete in 7 events starting 10am. Free! Lots of food & games, [email protected]

Bucks-Mont Two-Cylinder Tractor Club Annual Show, 9am-4pm, Calvary Church, Rt 113, Souderton, music, food, toys, hayrides, much more. Adults/$2, under 14/free, 215-723-5415

Singles Walk, 10:30am-12noon, Naturalist leads & informs you around the Nature Ctr, bring lunch, $2/donation, 170 Chapman Rd, Doylestown, 215-345-7860 www.peachvalleynaturecenter.org

September 9

Musical Fundraiser for No Kill Lehigh

Valley & Peaceable Kingdom, 4pm, intl opera star Christina Lamberti, St. John’s Lutheran, 37 S. 5th St, Allentown, recep-tion follows, tkt $20/door.

Lions Club Chicken BBQ, 12noon-3pm, Perkasie Boro Park, 5th & Park Ave. Tickets $9/10 and $6/7 for kids, 215-453-7127 or Perkasie Lions member or First Savings Bank Upper Saucon Township NeighborFest, www.Uppersaucon.org

September 10

Cub Scout Pack 185 Sign-up Night! 7pm for parents & boys 7 to 11, St. Isidore School, 603 W. Broad St, Quakertown, 267-446-6779 or [email protected]

German Cooking Pies, 7pm, West Rockhill Historical Society, 1028 Ridge Rd, Sellersville, Speaker: Nancy Rowan, all welcome!

September 11

Citizens for Constitutional Government will have information session on Tax Reform. 6:30pm at Quakertown Free Library, Mill St, Qtwn

September 13

Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner, 4:30pm-7pm or until sold out, Lower Milford Twp Fire Co., 1601 Limeport Pike, adults/$8, age 6-12/$4.50, take-outs/$8.50

Business Card Exchange w/Upper Bucks & Upper Perkiomen Chambers of Commerce, 5pm-7pm at Carriage House Rest., 745 Gravel Pike, Rte 29, East Greenville, contact UBCC.org for regis. details

September 14

Red Cross Blood Drive, 2pm-7pm at Encore Experiences at Harleysville, 312 Alumni Ave, registration recommended, Be a hero! 215-256-6900

September 15

McCoole’s Beer Fest, live music, food, 75+ beer tasting, etc. $35/pp advance, $40/door, (2 sessions available), details at www.quakertownalive.com

Towamencin Twp Environmental Fair, 12noon-4pm at Fischer’s Park, green crafters & businesses, raffle, organic food, details at [email protected]

5th Annual Fall Festival/Open House at historic Hartzel-Strassburger Homestead, 407 Keystone Dr & Bethlehem Pike, Sellersville, 10am-3pm, live demos, antiques, book sale, silent auction, etc. 267-614-9174

LCR Fall Open House, 11am-3pm, 9 Beck Rd, Qtwn, lastchanceranch.org

21st Annual Coopersburg Community Day, 10am-5pm, Living Memorial Park, Rt 309 & Fairmont St, flea mkt, antiques, classic cars, crafters, etc. Over 10,000 attended last year. www.Coopersburg.org

6th Annual Barn Tour, (rain/shine), 9:30am-4pm, Beethoven Waldheim Club, 1984 Waldheim Rd, Hellertown, benefits Heller Barn Preservation Fund, 610-216-0566, [email protected]

Annual Craft/Flea Mkt, 8am-12noon at Christ UCC, 101 N. Main St, Trumbauersville, $5/space, 215-536-1322 or 215-538-0142

Flea Market, 9am-3pm (rain/shine) Riegelsville Public Library, 615 Easton Rd, Riegelsville, call 908-319-3706 by Sept. 7 to reserve $15/space, food avail-able, benefits Library

Flea Market, 8am-2pm, St. John’s Lutheran, 4 S. Main St, Richlandtown, call 610-346-7651 to reserve $10/space

Craft Fair/Bluegrass Festival/Open Jam! 5 local bands play/sing to raise funds, begins 11am, bring chair or blanket to listen. St. John’s Lutheran, 1565 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Qtwn (Spinnerstown), 215-536-8918

Pennridge HS Clothing Drive, 9am-1pm, drop-off at pool entrance, 1228 N. Fifth St, Perkasie, proceeds go to Pennridge Cheer Booster Club to offset expenses to Nationals in Orlando, Florida, 267-992-6264

Friends/Family Fun Day, 10am-4pm, lots of activities including Fun Walk (2 or 6 miles), Peace Valley Nature Center, activities, food, prize walk for dogs, 170 N. Chapman Rd, Doylestown, 215-345-7860, peacevalley-naturecenter.org

September 15 & 16

Traditional Artisan Show, 40 from 12 States, (Sat.10am-5pm) (Sun.10am-4pm) at Upper Bucks Technical School, 3115 Ridge Rd, Bedminster, bedminsterlandconservancy.org

September 16

All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast, 7am-1pm, Souderton Firehouse, 266 N. Second St, lots of great food, $7/adults, $4/kids, free/under 5, benefits Souderton Fire Co.

Vera Bradley Bingo, doors open 12:30pm at West End Fire Co, 1319 Park Ave, Qtwn, $20/20 games, benefits Qtwn Panther Cheerleaders, info/tkts at 215-536-2511

“44th Annual Gallery of the Arts” 12noon-5pm, Sellersville, all types of art exhibits and awards, www.galleryofthearts.org

September 18

Quakertown Neighborhood Assoc. Monthly Meeting, 7pm at Quakertown Library, www.quakertownna.org

September 19

Free Community Dinner, doors open 5pm at Christ Community Bible Church, 1830 N. Ridge Rd, Perkasie, dinner 5:30pm-6:30pm, 215-257-7318

September 20

Marketing with Traditional Media Workshop at Bucks County Community College (Perkasie campus), contact UBCC.org for registration details

September 22

Ford Drive Event/Car Show, 9am-5pm, join QCHS Choir & Band at Freshman Ctr (9th & Main Sts, Qtwn), test drive a new car and $$ will be donated to Band/Choir, music & food, details www.QMPO.org

9th Annual Pig Roast, 1pm-6pm, lots of fun activities, Grand prize drawing cost is

$20/advance, $25/door, $12/kids over 12, details at 215-538-1314

Art of Preservation: A Farm to Table Dinner Party, 4pm-8pm, (cocktails & ALL-LOCAL menu) Historic Kirkland Farm in Springtown, Info: www.HeritageConservancy.org or Maggie 215-345-7021 x107

Beef & Turkey Dinner, 4pm-7pm, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Richlandtown.

Springfield Twp Community Day, 10am-4pm, Silver Creek AA Park, Rt 212, Springfield. Cruise/Car Show, complete list of events & details at www.ST-CD.org or 610-349-6985

Lower Milford Twp 10th Annual Fall Festival, 10am-5pm, (rain/shine), 7606 Chestnut Hill Church Rd, Coopersburg, www.lowermilford.net/festival.htm or 610-967-4949

Milford Twp Historical Society Flea Market, 8am-2pm, 215-538-8101 (leave message)

Independence Court of Quakertown’s Annual Fall Flea Market, 9am-2pm, free space, bring table, regis. 215-538-7050

Annual Community Picnic 11am-7pm all welcome, (Outdoor Flea Mkt 8am-2pm), lots of games, fun, raffle, etc. Zion Evangelical Lutheran, 2966 Old Bethlehem Pike, Zion Hill, 215-536-7288

Fall Mother’s Market, 10am-1pm, Calvary Church, 820 Rt 113, Souderton, $1 entrance fee (over 3-yrs), 267-625-6968, pennridgewomens- network.com

September 23

“Restaurant Bingo” at Eastern Upper Bucks Senior Ctr, doors open 12noon, win Vouchers for local restaurants, $20/20 games, light lunch available, 8040 Easton Rd, Ottsville, 610-847-8178

September 24

“Kaleidoscope Quilts & Many Possibilities”, Keystone Quilters Guild meeting, 7pm, guest fee $5, Quakertown Christian School, 50 Paletown Rd, Qtwn, info 267-354-1491, www.keystonequil-ters.org

September 27

Salute to Mothers’ Scholarship Tea, Tyler Mansion in Newtown, PA. ($10,000 in 2011) Supports students w/children. 215-968-8224 or email [email protected]

September 28

Autumn Dinner Dance, Pennridge Commun. Ctr, Rts 113&152, Silverdale, buffet 6-7pm, music 7-10pm. Buffet reserve by Sept 17, all are welcome, Details at 215-453-7027 or [email protected]

September 2012 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 3

QUAKERTOWN

A-Plus Mini MarketBottom Dollar Foods

Beer City Brick’s Sales

Classic TempsChick Fil-A

Earl Bowl LanesFirst Niagara Bank

Frank’s PizzaGiant Food Markets (309/313)

The Grundy HouseHen & Hog

Hampton InnHoliday Inn

Independence CourtJames Michener Library

John’s Plain & FancyKarlton Cafe

Liberty Thrift StoreMcDonalds

Melody LakesPhilly Soft Pretzel Factory

Power & Grace Dance & GymnasticsQuaker Cleaners

Quakertown Family RestaurantQNB Bank

Quaker BakeryQuaker CleanersRedner’s Market

Roma PizzaSal’s Pizza Randa

Seven-Eleven (7/11)Silver Shears

Spinnerstown HotelSine’s 5 & 10SNAP Fitness

St. Luke’s HospitalSwann’s Pantry

Tom’s Help DeskWawa

Upper Bucks Senior CenterUpper Bucks YMCA

Upper Bucks Chamber of CommerceYum Yum Donuts

TRUmbAUERSvillE

Borough HallFino’s La Cantina

Silver ShearsSpor’s General Store

SEllERSvillE

A & N DinerGrandview Hospital

Hidden Meadows on the RidgeRoy Ann Diner

Suelke’s RoadstandVillage Market

Where can I get my Free Press?

PERKASiE

Dam Good CafeEmil’s Diner

First United Methodist ChurchGiant Food Markets

Landis Food MarketsMirage Hair Salon

Olde Towne Convenience StorePennridge Chamber of Commerce

Pierce LibraryQNB Bank

Revivals Restaurant

TElfORd

Grundy ManorIndian Valley LibraryLandis Supermarket

Lisa’s Pizza

SOUdERTON

Care & Share ShoppesGenerations

Main Street JavaMr. B’s

QNB BankVincent’s Pizza

Wawa

COOPERSbURg

Coopersburg DinerGiant Food Markets

The Inside ScoopQNB Bank

Turkey Hill Minit MarketWeis Markets

SilvERdAlE

Detlan EquipmentGreen Street Barber Shop

HARlEYSvillE

Henning’s MarketLandis Supermarket

WalmartWawa

Also available at lots of other high traffic locations between

here and there.

More Community EventsSeptember 28 & 29

Charity Crop to Defeat ALS, (Fri 4pm-9pm) (Sat 8am-8pm) raffles, make & takes, tools, vendors, fun, Calvary Church, 820 Rt 113, Souderton, Some meals included, register 267-625-6968 or [email protected] for more info Used Book Sale (Fri 9am-8pm) (Sat 9am-2pm bag sale) at Sellersville Natl Guard Armory, 225 W. Park Ave, donations accepted at Armory Sept 24 to 27 from 9am-3pm. No out-dated reference books (sponsor Perkasie Library)

September 29

All-You-Can-Eat Turkey Supper at Solomon’s United Church of Christ, 2990 Bedminster Rd (Rt 113, Bedminster), adults/$10, takeouts/$11

Flea Mkt/Craft Show, 9am-2pm Dublin Fire Co., Rt 313 & Rickert Rd, food available by Auxiliary, reserve $15/space at 215-249-3089 (r/d Oct. 6)

5K Run/Walk, 9am, $25 regis. fee, spon-sored by Hellertown Area Library, 409 Constitution Ave, www.hellertownli-brary.org, 610-838-8381

September 30

SeptemberFest 2012, 12noon-5pm, James Memorial Park, West Rockhill Twp, www.westrockhilltownship.org

Basket Bingo, Christ Lutheran, 69 Main St, Hellertown, doors open 1pm, ticket info at 610-868-0074, benefits Organ Fund

October 3

Business Card Exchange at Gage-It, Inc., 5pm-7pm, refreshments & tour the facil-ity, contact UBCC.org for regis. info

October 6

“Pumpkin Ball”, 6pm-Midnight at Steve Tobin Studio on California Rd, Qtwn, $150/person, (food, open bar, music, dancing, etc.) Tickets at Quakertown Alive or call 215-536-2273

Wags & Wiggles Dog Walk, 11am-2pm, Lenape Park in Perkasie (r/d Oct 7), www.lastchanceranch.org

Fall Fest at Indian Valley Boys and Girls Club, details at Borough office: 215-723-4371, www.soudertonborough.org

Fall 2012 Craft Show, 10am-3pm, Pennridge Community Ctr in Silverdale, 215-453-7027 or 484-602-5795

Annual Bake/Yard Sale/Electronic Recycling, 8am-2pm, 6870 Chestnut Hill Church Rd, Coopersburg, all unsold items donated to Salvation Army. To donate/info: 610-967-1975, www.chest-nuthillchurch.org

Come Home to Richland!Richland Historical Society will have

its 52nd Homecoming at historic Shelly School at 130 Richlandtown Pike on September 15. Join a sing-along with members of the Upper Bucks Senior Center at 1:15pm Willard (Bud) Fluck, who taught in a one-room school, will be the speaker for the program which

begins at 2:00pm. Mr. Fluck continued his career as a teacher and guidance counselor at Palisades Junior-Senior High School. State Representative Paul Clymer will also be speak. The program is free and open to the public. For information, call 215-536-4929.

friends to Hold book Sale to Support Pierce libraryThe Friends of the Samuel Pierce Branch

Free Library are holding their Annual Used Book Sale on Friday, September 28th from 9am to 8pm and Saturday, September 29th from 9 am to 2 pm at the National Guard Armory on Park Avenue in Sellersville.

The majority of the books will be sold at 50 cents - $2.00. Special books are slightly more. There is a separate paperback book room with thousands of paperbacks. Saturday only features a special $5 for a bag

of books. Bags will be supplied at the sale.Donations of books will be accepted

Monday through Thursday, September 24 through September 27 from 9 am to 3 pm each day at the Armory.

The Annual Used Book Sale is the major fund raising event that the Friends spon-sor to support the Samuel Pierce Branch (Perkasie) Library. We rely on your dona-tions and support of the Book Sale. Contact 215- 723-2219 for more information.


Ongoing Community Activities and Resources

Cross Members Car Club Cruise Nights, 1st Sat. every month thru Oct, 5pm-9pm at Calvary Church, 820 Rt 113, Souder-ton, (free, all welcome)

Volunteer Doctors Care at Upper Bucks Clinic offers free primary medical care to adults in Upper Bucks County with no medical insurance and meet income eligibility guidelines. Info: 215-538-4774

NOVA Thrift Shop’s New Home Alone shopping event thru Sept. 30, (Mon to Sat 10am-5pm) (Sun 12noon-5pm), ap-pliances, linens, dishes, etc. New or good donations accepted thru Sept. 15 at 1628 Swamp Rd (Rt 313), Fountain-ville, PA or NOVA offices in Jamison, PA, 215-249-8000

Last Chance Ranch will give potential adopters opportunity to view all dogs on the first Saturday of April thru Septem-ber in their outside runs from 12noon-2pm. Located at 9 Beck Rd, Qtwn, www.lastchanceranch.org

Community Hymn Sing, 6pm, first Sunday every month, Saucon Mennonite Church, 6639 N. Main St, Coopersburg, All invited, refreshments, 610-282-0514

Quakertown PetSmart Pet Adoption Day! 11am-3pm every 2nd Saturday of the month, [email protected]

Miller-Keystone Blood Center Mobile comes to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Quakertown, call 800-223-6667 for days and times.

Organizations

Gamblers Anonymous meets every Sat-urday 11am-1pm, St. Luke’s Hosp. Ed-ucation Ctr, Rm 111, Ostrum St, Beth-lehem, 215-872-5635

Overeaters Anonymous meets every Thursday 10am-11am, West Swamp Mennonite Church, 2501 Allentown Rd, Quakertown, No fees, free babysit-ting. www.oa.org or Bob 610-762-3779

Alcoholics Anonymous meets every Sunday at 7pm, Grand View Hosp. info at 215-453-4699

Bedminster Nar-Anon Family Group meets every Tuesday 7:30pm at Deep Run West Mennonite Church, 1008 Deep Run Rd, Perkasie 18944. Support group for family & friends with loved ones struggling with addiction, [email protected] or 267-897-0695

A Woman’s Place (support for domes-tic abuse & violence) 24-hour Hotline – 800-220-8116, www.awomansplace.org

Community meals

Free Community Meals in Qtwn, 6pm at Richland Friends Quaker Meeting on second, fourth & fifth Weds. every month. Mill Rd & Main St off Route 309. 215-536-0395

Community Meal-every third Thursday of the month, 5:30pm-6:30pm, First UCC, 4th & Park, Qtwn, 215-536-4447

bingo

Bingo at Richland Twp Fire & Rescue every Tues. doors open 5:30pm, 64 Shelly Rd, Qtwn. 215-536-7226

Bingo at Great Swamp Fish & Game every Sat. night, open 4pm, games 6:30pm, kitchen open. Free coffee, 2650 Schukraft & Camp Rock Hill Rd, Qtwn, 215-536-8820

Bingo at Qtwn American Legion, doors open 5:45pm, 610 E. Broad St, Qtwn, open to public, 215-538-0747, (call for day)

Bingo at Plumsteadville Fire Co. every Monday, opens 5pm, games 6:30pm (refreshments avail.) 5064 Stump Rd

death NoticesEllEn M. HillEglas, 84, of

Quakertown died July 21 in St. Luke’s Hospital. She was the wife of the late Richard m. Hilleglas. Born in Quakertown, she was the daughter of the late Ellsworth and Edith (Hersh) Shearer. She is survived by two sons, Richard L. of Quakertown, Dennis W. and his wife Violeta of the Philippines. Two sisters, Patricia Weaver of Gaithersburg, MD and Barbara Duld and her husband John of San Antonio, TX; a brother John and his wife Eleanor of Clearwater, FL. Two grand-children and five great grandchildren.

William Clark, 67, of Quakertown died July 21 in his home. Born January 8, 1945 in Philadelphia, he was the son of the late J. Frank and Alma (Yetter) Clark. He served four years active duty at Willow Grove naval Air Station and continued as a member of the Naval Reserves, retiring as Master Chief after 30 years service. He is survived by 2 brothers, Jack F. Clark of Mesa, AZ and Frank J. Clark of Rockford, OH.

sHirlEy M. WalkEr, 80, of Quakertown died July 23 in Quakertown Center Genesis Health Care. Born in Quakertown, she was the daughter of the late Oliver Bright and Rose (Kulp) Bright Krauss. She was of the Lutheran faith. Survived by a daughter, sister, three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren, also sev-eral nieces, nephews, and cousins.

DorotHy MaE DornEy, 91, passed away on July 24. She was predeceased by her husband, Edward J. Dorney. Dorothy (Dot) was born on May 22, 1921 in Quakertown to Mamie (Weisel) and Lloyd Scheetz. Survivors include: sons, Edward L. Dorney and Peter R. Dorney, husband of Lisa; Daughters, Sheryl (Susie) A. Dorney and Mary Ellen (Molly) Minarik, wife of Thimas; 3 grandchildren, Andy, Ashley, and Collyn; nieces and nephews.

Timothy J. Brayshaw, 57, of Quakertown, formerly of Palm City, FL, died July 27 in his home. He was the hus-band of Donna ( Lamb) Brayshaw. Born in Philadelphia, he awas the son of the late Joseph and Rosalia (Tureski) Brayshaw. Timothy was of the Catholic faith and a U.S. Army veteran. He is survived by his wife.

PHiloMEna “PHyllis” t. lEnaHan, 90, of Quakertown died July 30 in her home. She was the wife of the late Edmund Lenahan, Sr. Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Madeline (Chiacciere) Gallichio. She was a member of St. Isidore Catholic Church. She is survived by her son Edmund, Jr. and his wife Sharon of Quakertown and granddaughter, Madalyn Catherine.

Jennie Parks, 90, of Quakertown died July 31 in her home. She was the wife of the late Clarence Parks. Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Anthony and Blanche (Balicka) Jasinski. She is survived by two daugh-ters: Patricia Frederick and her husband Gerald of Trumbauersville, and Linda Park of Quakertown. Two sisters: Helen Pancarik of Blooming Glen and Mary Szuchyt of Perkasie. A brother Edward Jasiniski of Quakertown. Two great grandchildren: Amy Lynn Scott and her husband, Stephen, and Rebecca Lynn Clemmer. She was predeceased by a son, Thomas.

FrED l. MoDzEl, 73, of Quakertown died August 2 in St. Luke’s Hospital. He was the husband of Diane L. (Diefenderfer) Modzel. Born in Casanova, Centre County, PA, he was the son of the late Gustav and Loretta (Hemmis) Modzel. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a brother, Cecil and his wife Diane of Quakertown, and a sister, Esther Fink and her companion, Chet Long of Brookville, PA. He was predeceased by a brother, Robert Hemmis.

JaMEs s CustEr, 90, of Quakertown died August 8 in St. Luke’s Hospital, Quakertown. He was married for 66 years to the late Elizabeth “Betty” (Fluck) Custer. Born in Milford Square,

he was the son of the late John & Flora (Spare) Custer. He is survived by his son Timothy of Quakertown and his daughter Pamela Rosenthal and her husband, Ed, of Reston, VA. Six grandchildren and one great grandchild. He was predeceased by a daughter, Patricia Custer.

WilliaM E. garbEr, 59, of Zionsville, died Wed., Aug. 8 in Lehigh Valley Hospice, Allentown. Bill was active for over 50 years with the Boy Scouts of America, beginning as a Cub Scout and in 1977 becoming the Scout Master for Troop 431, Trexler District, Minsi Trail Council promoting and supporting special events & activities. Services were held Wednesday August 15.

Joan i. PlaCiD, 79, of Quakertown, died Sat., Aug 18, in the home of her daugh-ter, Libby. She was the widow of LeRoy F. Placid. Surviving are her daughters, Elizabeth I. Radzai, husband Roy, and Jennifer L. Keifer, husband Tom, all of Quakertown; step-son Christopher Placid, Easton, step-daughter Colleen Arnold, husband Tony, Carlisle; grandchildren Andrea, Hilary, TJ, Christopher, Debin, Michael, Cassidy, Matthew, Maggie, Presley; 3 great-grandchldren; sister-in-law, Susan Ivins, Spring, TX; beloved lifetime friends and companions who were family to her, Lorraine Richards, Doris Neville, Jim & Nancy Hartz, and many extended loving family and friends.

laurEn annE (graybill) rittEr died on August 13, surrounded by family. Born on December 13, 1958 in Quakertown, she graduated Quakertown High School in 1976. She is survived by her daughter Melissa and son-in-law, Jason Camilo of Fort Washington; her son Daniel and daughter-in-law Samara of Wind Gap; and her daughter Megan and partner Harry Brown,Jr. of Plumsteadville; grand-daughters, Amelia Camilo, Gwyneth Bartholomew, and Emma Brown. Brothers and sister: Matthew and wife, Sharon; Steven and wife, Ruth; Timothy and wife, Lynne; Jerome and wife, Josee; Christopher and wife, Jody; Jonathan and wife, Lorraine; and Jennifer Graybill. Also, she is survived by former hus-band, David Ritter, and many nieces and nephews.

FlorEnCE M. FisCHEr, 101, of Richlandtown died August 18 at Phoebe Richland Health Care Center. She was the wife of the late Joseph Fischer. She is sur-vived by her son Joseph F. and his wife, Dorothea of Quakertown. A daughter Mary A. Miller and her husband, Richard of Elizabethtown. Two sisters, Irene Roshon of Pennsburg and Dorothy Sell of Telford. Six grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, three great great grandchil-dren. She was predeceased by her sister Verna and three brothers, Frank, Harry, and Ira (“Bud”).

louis WoloWnik, 90, of Quakertown died August 18 in St. Hospital, Bethlehem. He was the husband of Elsie Roth) Wolownik. They celebrated 66 years of marriage last December. He is also survived by his daughter, Donna Bracalante, and her husband, Rick, of Hellertown. Two grandchildren, Kirk and his wife, Miriam; Dominic and his wife, Tracey. Four great grandchildren: Taylor, Dominic, Jr., Jordyn, and Meadow. He was a US Army veteran and World Wr II POW, serving with the 17th Airborne Parachute Infantry.

arlEnE r. bisHoP, 89, of Richlandtown died on August 19 in Phoebe Richland Health Care Center, She was the wife of the late Robert M. Bishop. She was a member of St. john’s Evangelical church in Richlandtown. She is survived by a daughter, Barbara A. Fluck and her husband, Roger, of Quakertown. A sis-ter Anna Mae Eisenhart of Quakertown. Three grandchildren, Janelle Morris (Robert), Jarred Fluck, and Jeremy Fluck. She was predeceased by a son, Michael J. Schantz.


Social Security Q & AWhat can I do to protect myself

against identity theft?First, don’t carry your Social Security

card in your wallet. Keep it at home with your other important papers. Second, avoid giving out your Social Security number. While many banks, schools, doctors, landlords, and others will request your number, it is your decision whether to provide it. Ask if there is some other way to identify you in their records.

To report identity theft, fraud, or mis-use of your Social Security number, the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, recommends you:

1. Place a fraud alert on your credit file by contacting one of the following compa-nies (the company you contact is required to contact the other two, which will then place alerts on your reports):

• Equifax, 1-800-525-6285;• Trans Union, 1-800-680-7289• Experian, 1-888-397-3742

2. Review your credit report for in-quiries from companies you have not contacted, accounts you did not open, and debts on your accounts you cannot explain;

3. Close any accounts you know, or be-lieve, have been tampered with or opened fraudulently;

4. File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place; and

5. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-438-4338 (TTY 1-866-653-4261).

It’s hurricane season. If there is a big storm in my area, will I still be able to do business with Social Security?

During an emergency, keep in mind two things. First, you can conduct most of your business with Social Security on-line at www.socialsecurity.gov. There, you’ll find a wealth of information and online services. For example, you can ap-ply online for Social Security benefits or for Medicare, and then you can check on the status of your pending application. If you’re already receiving Social Security benefits, you can go online to change your address, phone number, or your direct deposit information, get a replacement Medicare card, or request a proof of in-come letter. You even can get your Social Security Statement online. You also can find out if your local office is open by going online to www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency. That site lists any office clos-ings and delays.

Second, make sure you receive your benefits through Direct Deposit. While the mail can be disrupted during severe weather, Direct Deposit payments arrive in your account on time, all the time. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/deposit to sign up for more information.

I’m retired and the only in-come I have is from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Are my IRA withdrawals considered “earn-ings”? Could they reduce my monthly Social Security benefits?

No. We count only the wages you earn from a job or your net profit if you’re self-employed. Non-work income such as annuities, investment income, inter-est, capital gains, and other government benefits are not counted and will not af-fect your Social Security benefits. Most pensions will not affect your benefits either. However, your benefit may be affected by a government pension from work on which you did not pay Social Security tax. For more information, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov or

call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

How do I earn coverage for Social Security?

You earn Social Security credits, some-times referred to as quarters of coverage, when you work and pay Social Security taxes. The credits are based on the amount of your earnings. In 2012, you receive one credit for each $1,130 of earnings, up to the maximum of four credits per year. Each year, the amount of earnings needed for a credit goes up slightly as average earnings levels increase. Generally, a person needs 40 credits to be eligible for retirement benefits.

There are special rules for the self-em-ployed. Read more about self-employment and Social Security in our online publica-tion, If You Are Self Employed, at http://socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10022.html.

To learn the amount required for Social Security credits for prior years, see Quarter of Coverage at socialsecurity.gov/OACT/COLA/QC.html.

I was turned down for Supplemental Security Income (SSI); can I appeal the decision?

If you disagree with a decision made on your claim, you can appeal it. The steps you can take are explained in Your Right To Question A Decision Made On Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Claim, available online atwww.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/11008.html. Also, you have the right to have a representative, such as an at-torney, help you. More information is in Your Right To Representation, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10075.html. Read these and other publications online at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

What is the difference between the disability application and the disability report? Do I have to com-plete both?

A disability application is a claim for benefits. To receive Social Security disability or Supplemental Security Income benefits, you must file a disability application.

A disability report provides informa-tion about your current physical or mental condition. We need this to process your disability application. In all, to establish a claim, you need to submit a disability application, a disability report, and an au-thorization to release medical records. You can learn more and apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordisability.

I am applying for extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs. Can state agencies help with my Medicare costs?

When you file your application for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs, you also can start your appli-cation process for the Medicare Savings Programs — state programs that provide help with other Medicare costs. When you apply for Extra Help, Social Security will send information to your state unless you tell us not to on the application. Your state will contact you to help you apply for a Medicare Savings Program.

tom reiley is the social security district manager in the allentown, pa office and can be reached at [email protected].

PenndOT issuing No-fee voter id Cards at driver

licensing CentersNew id is a Safety Net for Residents

unable to obtain other types of Photo Identification

Since the Pennsylvania Voter ID law was enacted in March, PennDOT has been working closely with the Department of State to ensure that every voter has the opportunity to obtain photo identification. Starting today in Pittsburgh and statewide on Aug. 28, voters who lack verifica-tion documents necessary for a secure Pennsylvania Photo ID (non-driver’s li-cense ID card), will be able to obtain a new Department of State voter identifica-tion card for free by visiting a PennDOT Driver License Center.

“Our goal is to ensure that every person who needs an ID can get one, and this new ID serves as a safety net for those who can’t find or obtain verification docu-ments normally required for a PennDOT secure identification card,” said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch.

The Department of State Voter ID is valid only for voting purposes. For this reason, if a resident has the necessary doc-uments, PennDOT’s primary focus is to issue a secure Pennsylvania identification.

If the customer was born in Pennsylvania but does not possess a birth certificate with a raised seal, PennDOT works directly with Department of Health to certify the customer’s birth record. If the customer still cannot qualify for a PennDOT secure ID, the department will then work to is-

sue the new Department of State Voter ID card.

Residents who want the new Department of State Voter ID will need to provide their name, address, Social Security num-ber, proof of residency and previous name and/or address if changed in the past 12 months. The applicant must complete a Department of State ID application form and sign a document affirming that they are a registered voter but have no other form of identification that can be used for voting. Staff at the Driver License Center will contact the Department of State to confirm that the person is registered to vote. Once verified, the person will re-ceive the free Department of State Voter ID, which is valid for 10 years.

PennDOT has posted signs to assist customers seeking Voter Identification cards at the state’s 71 Driver License Centers. The downtown Pittsburgh center has the new Department of State Voter ID cards available today. The other centers statewide that are closed on Mondays will have them on Aug. 28. PennDOT serves about 2.4 million customers at the centers each year.

For more information on voting and the types of photo ID’s that can be used at the polls, visit www.votespa.com or www.dos.state.pa.us.


The Upper Bucks Free Press is made possible by the businesses you see on thesepages. Please stop in to thank them for supporting your community’s voice.

FISH President Ted von Mechow and Assistant Manager Paige Neuman load bags of groceries. photo by michele buono

first WomanCommander Elected to local legion PostQuakertown American Legion Post

242 proudly announces the election of Ms. Isabel Giordano as our First Female Post commander. Isabel is a veteran who served in the US Navy as a Chief Warrant Officer 4. Isabel’s term runs from August 2012 to July 2013.

Post 242 is the largest post, as far as membership, in our State District 9. One of Isabel’s goals as post commander is to increase our membership (approximately 800 members) to what it was in the past to keep our status as the largest of 43 posts in District 9. Many of our members (World War II and Korean veterans) are unfortu-nately being called to their “final taps.” Please stop in to our Post or see a known member to check if you are eligible to join. Dues are only $30 a year and the Legion does a lot of good for community and veterans’ needs. She also is encour-aging those veterans who are members to come to our meetings and be a part in helping in our functions.

One other goal she has is to ask those members who receive raffle tickets two times a year to support our youth activities and veteran/post needs to please support OUR post by purchasing them. These raffles usually give away more than $4500 in prizes with many chances of winning. Lately we have received less than 50% of the tickets returned to the post. Isabel stresses that if those other 50% would purchase their tickets we could do a lot

more for our youth and veterans in need as most of the funds we now receive go for payout and expense money.

Isabel stepped forward to lead us in the above goals and the active Post members ask you to step forward to help in meeting them. Also, she asks members to stop by our Post home located at 610 East Broad street in Quakertown to see the improve-ments in the facilities, menu, and various social functions. Quakertown Legion Post 242 is changing and we encourage you to be a part of that change. Join us in our special events we have on September 11, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. Join us in our fund raising Poker Run events and Special Social Events. Join us to see what exciting changes our 1st Lady Post Commander will be making!

photo by michele buono

Pennridge fiSH Turns 40

Ted von Mechow remembers when it was neighbor helping neighbor when someone had a need. “A call would come in to an answering service, a volunteer would get a call, and they would go to help that person; sometimes delivering food right to whoever needed it,” he recalls. Forty years later, Pennridge FISH has grown into a well-run and unfortunately still much-needed community organiza-tion. Ted has been serving as president of FISH for the past eleven years.

Back in 1972, when it seemed like “ev-erybody knew everybody” according to Ted, the calls were more infrequent as the needs arose more out of emergency situa-tions rather than the chronic situations that FISH deals with today.

Paige Neumann, who serves as the as-sistant pantry manager, explains, “It’s getting to be less of a temporary situation for people. We’re seeing more chronic poverty, medical issues, and unemploy-ment. It’s very difficult for people to get back in the workforce today.” Ted agrees, “It used to be that kids took care of their parents as they got older. That’s harder to do these days.”

Indeed. Ted estimates that forty years ago, they would get perhaps two calls a week for help with food. The records from 1976 show that there were only 178 calls for food assistance feeding just 616 people. This past July, FISH helped over 1000 individuals, that’s 359 households, put food on the table. And it’s not just food that FISH can help provide. At the end of August, the organization distrib-

utes backpacks full of school supplies to over 200 children. Last year, that number was 130 children. Also, FISH provides one-time emergency utility assistance and help for those who are homeless. Clients are also welcome at the clothing outlet on the property. During the Christmas sea-son, FISH collects toys for children of all ages who may not otherwise have much of a holiday.

Pennridge FISH was formed from those early answering service days when local churches pulled together to help serve the community. In June of 1972, sixteen people representing thirteen lo-cal churches met to organize what would become Pennridge FISH. Its name recalls the early symbol of Christianity – FISH, Fellowship in Serving Humanity. It is a volunteer-driven organization that serves people in the Pennridge School District and relies on food and clothing donated by churches, civic groups, businesses, and individuals. According to their website, FISH also receives food from the USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program [TEFAP] and Pennsylvania State Food Purchase Program [SFPP]. In addition, FISH supplements these donations with purchased food from Philabundance and local food suppliers and markets.

The organization has grown to such an extent that they are actively searching for another, bigger, location. FISH is current-ly tucked into two-stories at 306 N. Fifth Street in Perkasie, adjacent to the Perkasie Regional Authority building. FISH can be contacted at 215-257-7616 or online at pennridgefish.org.

golf balls Predicted to Rain from Sky on

September 15You can help make it happen. It’s

pretty simple: Purchase some golf balls, help raise much-needed money to find treatments and a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, help improve and perhaps even save the lives of hundreds of thousands of boys like my son Cory, and maybe win $4,000 while you’re at it!

Cure Duchenne is partnering with Almost Home Dog Rescue in a Golf Ball Drop and Fall Festival to support Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) research and education as well as aide Almost Home in giving rescued dogs the medical treatment needed to make them healthy for adoption to new, for-ever homes. We are families active in Pennsylvania because we have a son, relative or friend that has been diag-nosed with DMD and have chosen to take a stand in the fight against this dev-astating disease as well as volunteers for Almost Home trying to give unwanted dogs a chance at a new life.

DMD is the number one genetic killer of boys. One out of 3,000 boys are di-agnosed with DMD each year. 2/3rds of the newly diagnosed are from spon-taneous mutations which means that anyone’s family can be devastated by this disease. Boys succumb to DMD between 12 years and their mid-twen-ties. There is no cure.

The 2012 Golf Ball Drop and Family Fun Festival will be held September 15, 10 am until 5pm, at the Quakertown Airport on Milford Square Pike. You do not need to be present to win. Numbered golf balls are being sold in advance for $20 each. At 4 pm, a drop

bag holding all 2,000 balls will be lifted into the air from the ladder of a fire truck, courtesy of Milford Square Fire Company, positioned over a hole-in-one, and then a cord at the bottom of the bag will be pulled allowing the balls to drop. The first ball that lands in or clos-est to the hole will be the winner! First prize is $4,000; second prize is $1,000; third prize is $500, and fourth through eighth place prizes are $100 each.

The remaining proceeds will be do-nated to Cure Duchenne, a national nonprofit organization fighting to save the lives of boys with Duchenne, and Almost Home Dog Rescue, a non-profit working to save the lives of homeless dogs.

There will be crafters/vendors, animal rescues, food & refreshments, live music, games for the kids, tons of raffle Items, face painting, and pumpkin decorating.

We will have a costume pet parade at 2pm with prizes, a puppy kissing booth, a Frisbee catching contest, many differ-ent training demonstrations, as well as a “You gonna eat that?”, “Bobbing for Hot Dogs” and a skateboarding contest for the dogs!

We may be adding more activities along the way!

To purchase numbered golf balls, at $20 each, or for more information, call Donna Doyle at 215-933-2121 or e-mail her at [email protected].

Golf balls can also be purchased by going to PayPal and sending money to [email protected].


medicare basics Part # 3 –Part ‘d’ Prescription drug PlansPart ‘D’ Plans are typically needed when

you purchase a Medicare Supplement (“Medigap”). If you choose to go with a Medicare Advantage Plan (HMO Style), the Part ‘D’ Plan is usually included, and you do not need to purchase a separate Part ‘D’ Plan. If you get your drugs from the Veterans’ Administration (VA), you do not need to purchase a separate Part ‘D’ Plan.

If you do not have Drug Coverage (Part ‘D’ Plan or VA plans), you will be hit with a penalty when you finally purchase a plan. The penalty will be approximately 32 cents per month for every month you do not have a Plan. This penalty will be added on to the Part ‘D’ plan monthly premium…forever.

Do not buy a Part ‘D’ plan from a fancy brochure. You should have various Plans presented to you via Medicare.gov soft-ware or something similar. Your choice should be prescription driven, which means that when your prescriptions are entered in the price quoting software, the software will calculate all compo-nents (described below), and you will clearly see the best plan for your specific prescriptions.

Components of Part ‘d’ Plans•Monthly Premium (can range from

$15/month to $100/month)•Deductible (some Plans have

Deductibles and some plans don’t. It’s when you pay full cost of Drugs before the Initial Coverage )

•Initial Coverage (Co-Pays for Generic and Brand Drugs)

•Coverage Gap ( The famous “Donut Hole” – when the Plan stops paying and you pay on your own)

•Catastrophic Stage (when you come out of the donut hole. You will now pay a 5% Co-Pay on all drugs)

The Coverage gap (“donut Hole”)1. Definition: When you temporarily

pay full price of Drugs after Total Retail Cost reaches $2,930

2. Retail Total Cost is calculated by adding your deductibles and co-pays PLUS what the Part ‘D” Plan pays the pharmacy.

3. Coverage Gap ends when your Total out of Pocket Costs = $4,700. You will then have a 5% co-pay for all Prescriptions (this is the “Catastrophic Stage”).

4. The Pharmacy keeps Tally and the Part ‘D’ Drug Plan will send monthly

statements with your status. All of your totals re-set every January.

How to Avoid the “donut Hole”1. Ask your doctor for less expensive

generic drugs.2. Pay Cash. As an example, Wal-Mart

sells common generic drugs for $4. Use a Pharmacy that does not have your insur-ance on file. The prescription needs to be filled without your insurance, so it doesn’t count toward the Donut Hole calculation.

3. Investigate Low-Income Subsidy Plans such as Extra-Help and PACE. These programs offer tremendous dis-counts and they eliminate the Donut Hole.

4. Most Drug manufacturers have Patient Assistance Programs. Contact them to see if you qualify. These Programs will delay or even eliminate the Donut Hole.

5. Investigate less costly Part ‘D’ plans. You can change Plans every Annual Enrollment Period (October 15th – December 7th). Less costly Plans will delay or even eliminate the Donut Hole.

“medicare made Easy” Seminars Senior Insurance Solutions will be hold-

ing “Medicare Made Easy” Seminars throughout the area. These seminars are a great way to relax and learn about how all the parts of Medicare fit together.

This 60 minute seminar is a straightfor-ward and clear presentation that allows attendees to know their Medicare options, and understand their choices.

An easy to follow and entertaining PowerPoint presentation is used, handouts are provided, and there is always ample time for Q & A.

Everything will be covered:Medicare Basics • MediGap • Medicare

Advantage • Medicare Supplements• Part ‘D’ Drug Plans • Turning 65

Enrollment Guidelines • Long Term CareSee our ad on this page for the seminar

schedule! Until next time…Be well! - Howard

Howard Peck is tHe owner of senior insurance solutions based in Green lane Pa. He’s a Pennsylvania licensed insurance broker wHo since 2005 Has focused His insurance Practice on tHe senior and retiree MarketPlace wHile sPecializinG in Medicare. srinsurancesolutions.coM, 267-923-5281, or [email protected]

The freedom, Security, Economy Connection

Hello, Neighbors. This month I’d like to chat a bit about entrepreneurs, op-portunity, and freedom. Freedom is an interesting word. Like a lot of concepts, it’s intensely personal. For some, it means the ability to worship the God of their choosing. For others, it means the right to hunt – or target shoot – or just to have a personal collection of firearms. For many though, freedom means not feeling trapped in their lives.

We all have friends and relatives who’ve lost their jobs, or are severely upside down on their mortgages. These folks are treading water in high seas, and we are running out of rescue helicopters to save them.

Back in 1943 a fellow named Abraham Maslow published a paper called “A Theory of Human Motivation.” He sug-gested that there’s sort of a pyramid of needs; and that every human concentrates on achieving the most basic needs before moving their attention up to the higher or-der of needs. In order of priority they are:

Most basic: Physiological needsNext up the pyramid: Safety needsNext: Love and belongingThen Esteem, Self-actualization, and

Self-transcendenceWe spend a lot of time talking about

Love, Esteem, and Self-actualization – but today we need to address the most basic needs. We are not free if those folks with the ambition to succeed cannot see how they’re going to satisfy these.

When asked why he supported the US, Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of England, reportedly said that the mark of a nation is the ratio of the number of people trying to get in, to the number trying to get out. By that standard, our America was – and still is – the greatest country in the world. Countless thousands

of people immigrate here every year be-cause we are truly the land of opportunity. They, like my Greek grandfather and my wife’s Italian grandfather, came here for one great reason: their home country was not able to provide them the opportunity to satisfy the two most basic needs.

It seems to me that the key to provid-ing an opportunity to satisfying the higher needs is insuring that everyone here has the opportunity to satisfy their basic needs.

We don’t need to spend a lot of time dis-cussing need #1. People need to breathe, eat, and sleep. One could make the case that we don’t need to eat as much as we do, but that’s a subject for another column.

Safety, however, doesn’t get enough attention in my book. Safety is defined as Security of: body, employment, re-sources, morality, the family, health, and property. This has been the promise of America since 1776. Today, that promise is being threatened.

The key to all this is the economy. When a person is productive and gainfully employed, they can provide all of the nec-essary security for their families. When a person is productive they earn their self-esteem. When a person has truly earned their self-esteem, they’re ready to really grow as a citizen. No amount of entitle-ment programs can enable this growth.

We must continue to grow our econo-my. We need our government to step back from Band-Aid medicine and create a more growth oriented environment. We need to put our neighbors back to work. We need to understand that the machine that created our great country is the partnership of citi-zen entrepreneurs and citizen consumers.

Back in 1992, the rallying cry was “It’s the economy, stupid!” That same cry should be on everyone’s lips in 2012.

gvH Adds to StaffAt its August meeting, the Grand View

Hospital Board of Trustees granted staff privileges to the following physicians:

Sarah Goodyear, MD, specializing in Hematology and Oncology, earned her medical degree at Temple University. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Goodyear is an associate of Alliance Cancer Specialists, Sellersville.

Alan Sofranko, MD, specializing in Psychiatry, earned his medical degree at

Saba University School of Medicine. He completed her internship and residency in Psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Sofranko is an associate of Penn Foundation, Sellersville.

Gilbert Tausch, MD, specializing in Neurology, earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Tausch is an associate of Penn Neurologic Associates, Sellersville.


The Thirty day Evaluation Period

For some individuals, purchasing hearing aids is equated with buying a used car, television, pizza, or pair of socks. The deal is sought by the buyer using a coupon, half-off ad special, or the cheapest price they can find. Then the buyer tries to negotiate more money off the top.

If you are a person of this mindset, don’t bother to even think about ven-turing into purchase of hearing aids. You are wasting your time and money and the valuable time and expertise of the dispensing audiologist. The bot-tom line is…you are not serious about your hearing handicap.

Having a hearing loss that requires hearing aids is like any other handicap. How many times do you see advertise-ments for a percentage or monetary value off the purchase of prosthetic devices? Come on in and buy one arm and get the other half off. Bring us your best deal on that prosthetic leg and we’ll beat it and give you a spare free. Stop on by and get a free cane with every walker this week only!

Sounds pretty silly? It is. However, there are plenty of people that think this way when buying hearing aids. Where do they acquire this notion that hearing aids are an unvalued item that can be picked up on a fast deal or spe-cial during the next three days for the first thirty people?

It’s time for everyone to get serious and see hearing aids (amplification) for what they really are. Device can range usually between $1600 to $2800 each. They include a one or two year repair warranty, office visits for computer-ized adjustments of the digital circuit, booklet, dri-aid, brush, pouch, case, batteries, counseling and aural rehabil-

itation, and most importantly, a thirty day evaluation period.

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on July 1, 2004, all dis-pensers of hearing aids are required to utilize a standardized state-provided form for the sale of hearing aids. The primary focus of this form is a clause regarding the thirty day money back guarantee. The clause is as follows:

30 Day Money Back Guarantee: If a hearing aid is returned within 30 days of date of delivery in the same condi-tion, ordinary wear and tear excluded, you are entitled to a refund of the por-tion of the purchase price of the hearing aid and accessories as itemized on the receipt and above, less the cancellation fee stated above. If a cancellation fee is imposed the nonrefundable amount for each aid and accessories cannot exceed 10% of the purchase price of the hear-ing aid and accessories or $150.00 per aid and accessories, whichever is less. You will, however, be responsible for all nonrefundable service fees listed in Part A. If you cancel your order prior to delivery, you are entitled to full re-fund of the purchase price of the aid and accessories, and a full refund for

services not yet rendered.The form was created by bureaucrats

with input from one audiologist who worked at a hospital having no idea of what additional information is typically given on a sales invoice agreement. The invoice lists all the things that ac-company the purchase of the hearing aids such as warranty, batteries, etc. This mandated state form provides no space or makes no mention of the extras.

However, the purchaser has a signed document stating they will receive a portion of their monies paid is a return of the devices is made. This thirty day period is to evaluate the hearing aids. To be fair to the process and your hear-ing handicap, you need to diligently use the hearing aids every day for the thirty days. During this time period, the dispensing audiologist will perform the initial fitting with a computer, give instructions and guidelines for the care and use of the devices, and follow up adjustments.

There are two ‘fits’ that must be ac-complished; the physical fit and the acoustic fit. The physical fit is how the devices feel in your ears. The acoustic

fit is how the hearing aids sound after computerized adjustment and use by the wearer for follow up adjustments. The wearer will have a subjective acoustic taste. Meaning, they want the hearing aids to sound a certain way for listening comfort.

Sounds pretty involved? Rightly so. Hearing aids aren’t a pair of socks that you put on your feet and go. My ex-perience with people entitled to a thirty day evaluation period has included those who realized immediate improve-ment to some needing an extension of time to ensure a successful fitting. I have encountered some wearers who tried devices for less than THREE DAYS and stated they tried hearing aids and they don’t work. Others have returned hearing aids that replaced the same devices with power required to reach their loss stating that their friend thought they didn’t work.

Come on, take advantage of a thirty day evaluation period on the road to better hearing. Get serious about your hearing loss and do something about it. The most successful patient is the one who is motivated to hear better, get the hearing aids, and use them every day. Don’t be a tire-kicker looking for a deal. Be a patient in pursuit of attain-ing the best hearing possible. Take it from me. I have a hearing loss and I wear two hearing aids.

patrick m. murphy, m.ed., ccc-a, faaa has been in private practice since 1987 and wears binaural digital completely-in- the-canal hearing aids. he can be reached at [email protected] and 215-804-1111.


marketing lessons from The mango menEvery morning I wake up to emails from

various business entities, websites, gurus, and so-called experts on marketing and business development. It’s a good thing I have my coffee in front of me or I’d be nodding off 15 minutes after I had gotten out of bed. I am determined to not bore anyone or be ordinary in my business or personal life. That being said, I like to find fresh lessons from my life and experiences when I write, speak, or perform. Being an entrepreneur, I am always seeking new ways to communicate the features, benefit, and impact of what I offer.

The Mango Men are a band in the tri-state Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware region, but not for long. Excellence doesn’t stay local for long. When I teach market-ing and business promotion, I always teach people to take full responsibility for their message, their product, and if the public doesn’t know about them, they need to take full responsibility for it. This group of mu-sic men gets that. They know their audience well, cater to them, and are always fresh. Starting out as a fan and Facebook friend, I am now a “student” of their practice. They knew they had fans, but I bet they didn’t know they had students. I love watching how people and businesses promote them-selves. Here five important lessons every business needs to extract from this unique group of music men.

The band was started by a couple broth-ers in 1995 on a whim that really was a dream being realized. They are known for doing summer-y music: Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown, etc... BUT don’t call them a “Jimmy Buffet cover band”. They are a band that plays ALL your favorites. I’m a closet heavy metal fan and I got a little smirk on my face one night when I heard Metallica coming from their amps. You have seen them and their well-known concerts-in-the-park series with the lawn chair, coolers, and blankets-on-the-grass crowd. From parks to casinos where they rock out the house and it’s shoulder to shoulder dancing all night, The Mango Men are men with a plan. Their event planner-manager, Lisa Schnell, shared with me five marketing principles that all businesses can benefit from.

1.) Priorities. Very specifically, Lisa shared with me one of the core values of the band members and it goes like this: God > Family > Work > Mango Men. Yep, you heard that right. When your life is in balance and properly prioritized, then everything falls into place. It’s not luck, hocus pocus, or luck of the draw. Their success is no an accident, but rather a CONSEQUENCE of specific actions. 17 years of consistent, forward-moving ac-tions, the right actions.

2.) NoWhining. Nothing can drag an entity down faster than whining or com-plaining. If there is a problem, fix it. If it can’t be fixed, forget it and move on. Take full responsibility for how people perceive you. As Lisa says, job number one of The Mango Men is to “take you away for a couple hours and have everyone leave with a smile on their face”. This is something they do very well.

3.) Customer Focus. They realize that, along with passion, their fans are the reason they do what they do. Don’t just meet expectations of their market …exceed them. I love the story of a wedding they did. Rather than just emailing a song list of what they do, they asked the couple “Are there any songs YOU would like us to do?” Then they proceeded to learn those songs for that gig. They listened to their market and it serves them well.

4.) Always be selling/promoting.

Taking full responsibility for your busi-ness success means that when you are not practicing your art or business, that you are on the phone, emailing, pitching, personally responding to inquiries, and leveraging opportunities in the right way. The Mango Men are a professional music group. Like anything of quality, it cost money to get them, but they do benefit and charity concerts every year. Up front, it obviously cost more to do a concert like this, but you realize that on the back end, you build up your fan base and goodwill in the community. Plus, there is the feel-good factor for performing a valuable service for a group that wouldn’t normally be able to afford your fee or to help raise money for an individual’s medical need. There’s never a downside to serving with having no expectation of reciprocation. It always comes back to you, somehow, some way.

5.) “Can’t” is not in your vocabulary. All things are possible. It may not come in your time, totally on all your terms, but it is possible. Just don’t give up. The lessons learned during the past 17 years are invalu-able. Are you ready to give 17 years ns enjoy the ride? You have to have passion and enjoy what you do, or the ride will be very long.

Mid to long range goals are to be na-tionally known in their category. I was surprised to see a “Mango Nation”, as they call it, in Peoria, Illinois! The Florida Keys is another hot spot for the band, but that didn’t happen overnight either. Key West is a hub for people all over the world. You encounter people from virtually every-where when you play in Key West.

Other important issues include “no divas in the band”. Everyone has to work as a team toward the greater good of the band and its goals.

John Creidler started the band in 1995. He was an IT and Customer Service guy in the corporate world. After layoffs and no one knocking on his door, he pursued more opportunities for the band. What may have been a sour time in his life was turned around by him to be an opportunity. He was known to say “I’ll pick up trash if I have to” and the “do what you gotta do” at-titude has served him and the band well. As I like to say, when life gives you avocados, you make guacamole!

They do 150 shows a year and all still hold down “day jobs”. When I asked if they’d like to quit the day jobs, the answer was “of course”, but being responsible family-oriented men with priorities, God and family come first. Personally, I don’t think they’ll be doing the day jobs for too much longer. They didn’t say this, but I can’t not think of Proverbs 16:3 that says “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed”.

Also, a great thing Lisa shared with me is they are committed to making The Mango Men a great place to work. They are the “Wegmans” of bands. Wegmans supermarkets have completely reinvented the food shopping experience. They put the SUPER in supermarket. The Mango Men love what they do, and it shows, and you love them for it.

They can be found on Facebook and their website is wwwTheMangoMen.com.

How can you incorporate these five les-sons in your business and personal practice? Email me with your comments, feedback, and go see one of the best business teachers out there today, The Mango Men.

Get More of GeorGe by visitinG His website at www.GeorGebruno.coM, or

eMail HiM at [email protected].

New Historical Society forming in Richlandtown

Richlandtown Borough was incorpo-rated on November 11, 1840. In its time, the borough has gone through several name changes. It was known at various times as Three Lane’s End, Ducktown, Frogtown, and Flatland before settling on the name of Richlandtown. The first framed house in what would become Richlandtown was built in 1804. The borough coalesced around the church and an inn and has, through its 172 year history, remained centered on its com-munity organizations.

At the time it was incorporated, Richlandtown had 25 houses, today there are over 400 homes and over 1,300 residents. As the borough grew and its history lengthens, there are more artifacts and more documents associ-ated with Richlandtown. The problem is where to put them.

Borough President Bob Shinn believes that Richlandtown needs an organization to shelter the borough’s historical docu-ments and artifacts. To that end, he’s organizing the Richlandtown Historical Society. Bob recalls that Mayor Carl Raub and Secretary Dani McClanahan

both said to him “wouldn’t it be great if we had a historical society?” He was also inspired by resident Joan Bless who wrote a letter to borough council regarding the old playground equipment at Benner Hall. She didn’t want the vintage spring toys discarded, but preserved. Also ac-cording to Bob, Joan has documents and other pieces of Richlandtown history that she would like to donate to the borough, but there isn’t a secure dedicated place for them at the moment.

There will be an inaugural organiza-tional meeting at Benner Hall to introduce the fledging Richlandtown Historical Society to interested people on November 11. The date was chosen because it is the anniversary of Richlandtown’s incorpo-ration as a borough. “We need a good core of volunteers,” says Bob, “This is an exciting opportunity.” Also in atten-dance will be Vic Stevens, president of the Richland Historical Society as well as representatives of other area historical societies.

“We need to get the ball rolling,” said Bob.

If you are interested in attending the November meeting and being a part of the new Richlandtown Historical Society, You can call Bob Shinn at 215-538-1441.


High School band Needs Trailer to Keep

music on the RoadOn August 11th and 18th, the

Quakertown High School Panther Marching Band held car washes with the very generous help of Pep Boys in Quakertown, who provided the supplies and water and let the kids use their fa-cilities. These two car-wash fundraisers were staffed by students and parents. A lot of great high school students from QCHS Band worked hard washing cars and selling snacks to the many generous community members who came to support them. The kids want to thank every per-son who came to support them.

Why are they working to raise funds? Recently, the Quakertown Music Promoters Organization (QMPO), the Band and Choir’s music boosters group for the high school, learned that the Music Department at the high school was in dire need of a way to get its equipment and instruments to events, competitions and football games throughout the year. So, with the help of Trumbauer’s Motor Sports in Quakertown and the Quakertown Community School District, QMPO has obtained a 28-foot-long enclosed trailer to haul the equipment the Band and Music Department need in order to continue performing at its exceptionally-high level. QMPO will be donating the trailer to the district for the use of the Band and Choir at the high school. In order to avoid any cost to the school district or Music Department, QMPO plans to raise the funds to pay for the trailer. The kids and QMPO are reaching out to the community for help. The two car wash events were a huge help, but there is more to do to help the kids and the programs get the trailer they need. QMPO’s Co-Presidents, Karen Quinn and Michele Daley, would like to ask for your help:

QMPO is now selling ad spaces to be placed permanently on the sides of the

trailer. The ads will measure 4’ by 4’ and can be purchased from QMPO for $550 each. The ads will be visible year round as the trailer is parked at QCSH for our home events, and as it travels to all of our away events. If you are able to help, and you would like to purchase an ad on the trailer, please contact Karen Quinn at [email protected].

Do you and your family love music? Are you an alumnus of the QCHS Music Programs? Please consider being a spon-sor. Contact Karen Quinn at [email protected] to make a donation. QMPO is a 501 (c) 3 non profit so donations are tax deductable! The first 12 individuals donating over 125.00 can have their name on the trailer’s sponsor list.

There will also be an opportunity to make small donations to the group. Just stop by the Freshman Center on 9th Street on September 22nd, 2012 between 9am and 5pm. The group is hosting the “Ford Drive One 4 UR School” event. You can drop a dollar or two in the dona-tion drum to help out! And while you’re there, drive a new Ford, because the Ford Motor Company/Faulkner Ciocca will donate 20 dollars per driver to the Band and Choir! It’s easy and free! We NEED your help to succeed.

Music programs help to make our kids stronger, academically and socially. They engage kids, and help them to see that they are a part of something posi-tive. Programs like the Band and Choir not only raise test scores and grade point averages, but they draw kids in and help them look forward to coming to school each day. All of the kids in the music pro-grams, the Quakertown Music Promoters Organization, and the Music Department are so grateful for all the help the com-munity provides to these programs and its kids. We will be extremely grateful for any help with this new project. Together, we can do great things

photo by karen quinn

Erin Price, Miss Keystone 2012, visited the Perkasie Carousel last month to help promote the importance of music education.

photo by dan suardi / 1000 words photography

Congratulations to Tom Merrick at Tom’s Help Desk on reaching the

milestone of 2000 customers.


Maria Foreman, Robert Shuster, Massimo Marchiano, Elisabeth Horner & Jade Devlin St. Isidore graduates’ first day at Bethlehem Catholic High School. photo by donna devlin

© 2012 CFA Properties, Inc. Chick-fil-A®, and Chick-fil-A Stylized® are trademarks of CFA Properties, Inc.

SEP. 10 : Sea, Sun, and SandSEP. 1 7 : Fun on the FarmSEP. 24 : Splish, Splash in the Bath

SEPTEMBER FUNAT CHICK-FIL-A®!

MONDAY MORNINGS 9:30AM-10:30AM

FREE KINDERMUSIK PROGRAM OF STORIES, SONGS, MUSIC & MOVEMENT

FOR CHILDREN AGES NEWBORNTO 5 YEARS AND THEIR PARENT.

Quakertown602 N. West End Blvd. • Quakertown, PA • (215) 538-8848

www.cfaquakertown.com

Quakertown band Celebrates 135 Years

with music, magicThe birds weren’t the only beautiful

music heard coming from the Quakertown Memorial Park this summer. On Sunday August 12, the Quakertown Band cel-ebrated their 135th anniversary with a concert in the park. The concert featured an hour and half performance from the famous local band followed by an illu-sion show by the comedic magician Sam Sandler.

This free concert was part of the summer concert series featured at the Memorial Park. Back in March, the band had a more serious anniversary celebration focused solely on performing selections from the band’s repertoire. Conductor for the past thirteen years, Richard Karchner, ex-plained that this concert was designed “to be more fun.” The overall mission was to “celebrate the community and put on a special program for them.” The efforts of the band were greatly appreciated as ap-proximately 450 people filled the park’s field. One member of the audience ques-tioned, “How many communities could one go to, to find this kind of beautiful entertainment?”

A combination of older classics and con-temporary selections were chosen for the recital. Keith Spencer, a former student of Karchner and current member of the Bristol Riverside Theatre, also preformed two songs. The concert featured the first ever performance of “Te Sittig Hin” conducted and written by Doylestown’s Kevin Greenwald.

The Quakertown Band currently has between 45-50 musicians, but they will

lose several members who are heading to college in the fall. Musicians of all ages are featured in the band; the youngest member is 16 while the oldest is celebrat-ing his 55th year performing. The group mostly performs locally, but has extended a few performances as far as Doylestown and Warrington.

Quakertown was privileged to have magician and comedian Sam Sandler per-form. He currently performs all over the nation and has made numerous television and radio appearances. The crowd was amazed with his illusions and amused by his comedic approach. He made sure to not only entertain the crowd, but to also include them into his act.

No night of entertainment would be complete without refreshments which the members of the band made sure to pro-vide. They could not have done so without the help of local vendor’s contributions. Philly Soft Pretzel Factory donated soft pretzels, Rosenberger provided drinks, and Regal Cinemas provided the popcorn. All of this, along with the ice cream pur-chased by the band, was freely served by volunteers.

The 135th anniversary concert was a great success for the both the band and the town. Many enjoyed the musical and comedic entertainment the night provided along with refreshments and beautiful summer weather. The concert proved to be a great way to bring the community to-gether as citizens of Quakertown enjoyed the company of their family, friends, and neighbors while being serenaded by the famous Quakertown Band.

photo by tony serge

betterment Club makes donation to Restore

Historic ChurchSometimes we see a sign that lets

us know what needs to be done. Barry Roberts, president of the Trumbauersville Betterment and Social Club, saw a sign in June at the borough’s Community Day event.

“There was a woman from the church walking around with a sign asking for donations for the church’s bell tower,” said Barry. He was talking about the Christ Church United Church of Christ on Main Street. Barry took the need to the Betterment Club and last month they donated $500 to the church’s steeple fund.

According to Reverend Barbara Moran, the money went to pay for some much-needed repairs on the bell tower. “It’s a historic part of the town,” she said, “It’s featured on Trumbauersville’s seal.” The Christ Church of the United Church of Christ was originally established as a German Reformed Church in 1769.

And so, on a humid morning in August, Barry and his wife Brenda presented a $500 check to Reverend Moran in front of the church’s congregation. The Reverend Moran was very glad and grateful for the Betterment Club’s donation, “He (Barry) saw a need and did something to help. We’re very thankful to him and the Betterment Club.”

The Trumbauersville Betterment and Social Club work to make their commu-nity a better place for everyone. They hold regular fundraisers to help them be able to do this. As a matter of fact, there are two fundraising efforts this month. On September 8, the club is hosting a yard sale and on September 22, there will be a pig roast. More information about these events can be found in our Community Events listings on page 2. For more information about becoming a mem-ber of the Betterment Club, please call (215) 538-1314.



Eating Out with Your four-legged friends

I was reading an article in the local paper last month about dogs not being allowed to eat at patio restaurants in New Hope. I was SHOCKED!!! Momma Jean called the Health Department for Bucks County and talked to Phil Smith. Here is the scoop from Phil. IF there is no food preparation or a bar in the patio area and all food is brought out to the patio to be served, THEN it is okay for dogs. Whew! That was close! I thought I would miss out on my lunch runs. I have checked with some area places and these places listed say they will be hap-py to have well behaved dogs come with their owners. Please make sure ONLY well behaved dogs AND owners attend. Dogs should be always on a leash and not the retractable kind. Remember to supply a water bowl for your dog and be sure to order us a nice treat, like bacon. PICK UP ALL MESSES THAT YOUR DOG MAKES. No matter which end it comes from. Here is the list. The Karlton Café , Sine’s 5 &10, Sonic Drive-In patio and in-car service, McCoole’s,

and Sunday’s Deli and Catering in Quakertown are all outside dining. Once the cold weather hits we dogs will be left behind. There is one place we can go along even in the winter. That would be the Sonic Drive-In. We can all stay in the car and eat together. Even the not so polite dogs can go along to this place, seeing how we stay in the car there. Please if you know of anywhere else I, ugh I mean WE can go, just write me at [email protected] and let me know. I will update this list each month if I get any more listings. Oh, I almost forgot to mention! For those of you who would like to meet me in person I will be at the BarkFest in Allentown on Sept. 8th doing pawtagraphs for our cartoon book, “A Doggy Daycare Day”, in which I am the storyteller. Two dollars from each book sold that day will go to the BarkFest to help build their dog park (a worthy venture). The times are noon until 8PM. I hope to last the whole day. Love to all My Fans, M.J.

Brooke Wolf, Cody Krause, & Lauren Ridgeway, all of Quakertown, start their first day at the LVPA Lehigh Valley Performing Arts charter school. Brooke & Lauren are Freshman, Cody a Sophomore. All 3 are majoring in Dance and are students at Miss Cindy’s. photo by donna devlin

Congratulations to Carolyn Anne Fisher of Perkasie! She graduated in August from the Accelerated MBA Program from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

submitted phoito

Attorney Opens Upper Bucks Law Office at the

free Press buildingQuakertown recently welcomed a new

attorney to town. Peter M. Williams is a life-long resident of Bucks County, a Rider University graduate with a BA in Political Science, and holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University. He has been an attorney for eight years.

Located in the historic Free Press Building on West Broad Street, it’s the small town aspect of Quakertown that drew Mr. Williams to open an Upper Bucks office. “My family and I immedi-ately fell in love with Quakertown the first time we visited. Quakertown has it all: food, shopping, culture, and all are within walking distance.”Mr. Williams practices many facets of law. He is particularly focused on criminal defense and estate planning. His other legal capabilities include civil litigation, real estate, per-sonal injury, and tax assessment appeals. He also performs pro bono work through legal aid.

It is his real passion for helping others that drew him to the business. “I knew from an early age that lawyers help clients with some of the most important problems in their lives.”

Mr. Williams began his career as law clerk to the former Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg. After finishing his sixteen-month long clerkship, Mr. Williams joined the Langhorne law firm of Begley, Carlin & Mandio, LLP, and later O’Brien and Ryan, LLP in Plymouth Meeting, be-fore returning to his roots and establishing his law office in Levittown in 2011.

In August 2012 Mr. Williams opened his Quakertown office and is

pleased to now serve clients in Upper Bucks County.

In his free time Mr. Williams enjoys spending time with his wife, their three children, and their beagle. He also enjoys fishing, hunting, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mr. Williams is a member of the Bucks County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He is li-censed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

To contact Mr. Williams, call 267-583-3690 or by email at [email protected]. His office is located at 312 W. Broad Street, 2nd Floor.

Firefighter Olympics Return to RichlandtownEveryone is invited to attend the 2nd

Annual Firefighter Olympics hosted by the Richlandtown Fire Company. The games begin at 10am on Saturday, September 8 - rain or shine - at Benner Hall, 1260 Cherry Street in Richlandtown. Fire com-panies from Springtown, Ottsville, West End, Quakertown, Trumbauersville, Richland Township, and Perkasie will be competing in seven endurance events. The firehouse athletes face off in a tug-of-war, hose relay, bucket brigade,

hose drag & roll, drafting relay, gear relay, and the very challenging obstacle course. There will be plenty of food and fun for everyone with games and raffles, moonbounces for the kids, a Chinese auc-tion, and Big Poppa’s Backyard BBQ. Admission is free. This event is sponsored by First Savings Bank and The Fire Store. Come out and support your local fire companies! They are always there for you! Questions or more information: [email protected].


meet bucks County Author – debbie dadey!

Debbie Dadey is the author and co-au-thor of 155 books for children, including the Adventures of the Bailey School Kids. Debbie is a former first grade teacher and school librarian who now resides in Bucks County with her three wonderful children, three dogs, and one fabulous husband, Eric Dadey. Her website is www.debbiedadey.com and she hopes you’ll like her on www.Facebook.com/debbiedadey. She volunteers at Christ Home and The Moland House.

Ms. Dadey’s newest series is called “Mermaid Tales.” In Book 1, Trouble at Trident Academy, Shelly (a mergirl) is worried about starting school at Trident Academy, one of the best schools in Trident City. It doesn’t help that there is a mean rich mergirl in Shelly’s class named Pearl who doesn’t like Shelly. With the help of Shelly’s best friend, Echo, Shelly hopes to still have a good time at Trident Academy!

I got to ask Ms. Dadey a few questions about this series and her newest book, “A Whale of a Tale.”

Erik - Your new series is “Mermaid Tales.” How did you get the idea for this series?

Debbie Dadey - I had just gotten back from a beach vacation when an editor from Simon and Schuster emailed me ask-ing if I’d be interested in writing about mermaids. I thought it sounded fun and I did some brainstorming. They liked my ideas and Mermaid Tales, complete with Trident Academy and a fun group of merkids, was born.

Erik – I like that the whole plot idea of writing about merkids in school. Trident Academy sounds like a cool place. The new book in the series, “A Whale of a Tale,” was recently published (August 28, 2012). Can you tell us about the story?

Debbie Dadey - An exciting part of school is a field trip, but when your school is under the ocean you go on ocean trips. How exciting to get to visit a humpback whale pod! Only one mermaid, Kiki, is afraid of whales. Will Kiki get over her fear and get to breech on the back of a whale? I hope you’ll read to find out. When I was doing research for the book (as I do for every book) I found out my nephew had actually swam with hump-backs so he told me about it so I could use it in the story.

Erik – Wow! I’d like to go on that field trip! If you were a mermaid, what kind of mermaid would you be?

Debbie Dadey - I would probably be Shelly, the mermaid in Mermaid Tales, who likes sports and animals. And she has a blue tail, my favorite color!

Erik – I really like hearing how authors do research for their books. It is neat that your nephew was able to help you with his whale experience. I read on your website hat you went skydiving to get an idea for a book. I would LOVE to know about that!

Debbie Dadey - I have a story that I’ve been working on for a while about a kid who helps an older woman for the sum-mer. The old lady decides she’s never done anything exciting and decides to sky dive! The kid tries to talk her out of it. After all, what if her false teeth fell out of her mouth and killed someone on the ground? But since the older lady was go-ing to do it, I felt like I needed to do it for research! I’ve also gone to space camp and dropped 400 feet into a shark tank for research! Luckily, I was separated from the sharks!

Erik - Thanks Ms. Dadey! Mermaid Tales is a great series for young readers and kids just looking for a fun story.

I am also a huge fan of Ms. Dadey’s other series like the Key Holders and the Bailey School Kids.

To read more please check out my website thiskidreviewsbooks.com!

Why viruses?One of the most common questions we

hear at Tom’s Help Desk is “why do people do this?” Dealing with the frustration and fear brought by a computer virus, custom-ers struggle to understand what motivated the criminals that reached across the inter-net to make their lives more difficult. So why do viruses exist? What motivates the villains responsible for so many computer crashes, headaches, and sleepless nights? Answering these questions requires a look back into the history of viruses.

While some computer viruses existed as early as the 1970s, many of the most famous early computer viruses plagued the internet beginning in the late 80s and into the 90s. In this early era of viruses, most virus creators were either tech-savvy teenagers with curiosity and deviousness, disgruntled employees with a grudge, or young computer scientists with something to prove. While a few notable cybercriminals garnered fame with disastrous computer hacks, most early virus attacks took place on a small scale and caused little or no permanent damage.

In the late 90s and into the 2000s, the landscape of computer crime saw a no-table shift. Massive attacks like the 1999 Melissa Virus and the 2000 ILOVEYOU virus demonstrated the power of viruses to spread rapidly and cause immense dam-age to computer systems. Though these viruses did not steal personal information or launch money-making web scams, they paved the way for the current gen-

eration of viruses by leveraging the size and speed of the internet to inflict damage on a scale unimagined decades earlier.

The success of major viruses in the early 2000s attracted professional crimi-nals who recognized the potential profit of widespread internet attacks. Today, professional criminals make up the ma-jority of virus authors. The proliferation of the internet provides talented criminal coders with an unavoidable opportunity for profit. Organized criminal institutions craft viruses to steal bank credentials and credit card numbers. Professional crimi-nals write viruses that use large groups of infected computers to send out spam and to launch internet scams. Cybercriminals, like regular criminals, use viruses to steal, extort, and ultimately, make money.

And they make a lot of money. By stealing credit card and bank account information, tricking users into paying for illegitimate software, and stealing money with email scams, cyber crimi-nals generate millions of dollars in profit.

So why did someone take the time to write a virus? Why bother tricking us into clicking “download” or following an email link to some “cool new video?” The answer is simpler than you might expect. Money.

Tom owns and operates Tom’s Help Desk, an independent business serving the computer needs of area businesses and consumers. He is currently celebrating the milestone of his 2000th customer. He can be reached at [email protected] at 215-536-0831.


“Around Home”Part 2

As promised in my last article I am continuing “Around Home” in the Brick Tavern/Rosedale area. Many of my classmates of ‘61 lived in the im-mediate area and we would bicycle to a central area; mostly around the Ritter farm. The group consisted of Sam Kile, Bill Piszczek , Terry Hartman, Barry “Stymey” Sine, Karl Viehe, myself, and of course Roger Ritter. These were classmates and many others outside of our class joined in on the baseball, touch football, basketball games, and pond activities. We would be able to catch the sunfish by hand when we would toss bread at the shore of Ritter’s pond. In the winter, we would ice skate on the pond and have a bonfire back from pond’s edge to roast hotdogs and marshmallows. One of Roger’s neighbors was so good at skating that later on she went on to join the Ice Capades. We would all try to imitate her spins and jumps with the outcome of being flat on the ice sliding more that not. Every now and then, we would all bicycle over to Bill Piszczek’s home near Steinsburg for our summer adventures. While there, we would go over to Joel Klausfelder’s father’s store for a “Mr. Big” cone or a Creamsicle.

Bill Yanish e-mailed me a while back and told of the activities that the Town kids had that were special for the day. Bill tells of the sporting activities that the “townies” participated in and the people involved. Below I will share with you the playground activities & impromptu sports events that took place in town just as I received it from Bill.

“Way back then, during our elemen-tary school days, Dick Strayer spent his summer in charge of The Playground, which was all of the Alumni Field. Dick, not only having his daughter Susan, in our class, but getting to know each of us because of being at the play-ground every summer day, really got to know most, if not all of our townie classmates. And Dick would also come into town during school snow days and open the gym for us in the old Senior High School. I was always amazed how we could go from “Dick” every sum-

mer to “Mr. Strayer” during the school year and never thought anything of it.

While the students were snowed in on occasion, we townies would be able to get into the gym and/or go to the mov-ies by early afternoon. As you can see, life was pretty tough for us, too.

When the weather was nice, you could find a lot of us up at The Courts (basketball courts behind the old high school). I think our classmate Bob Lewis was all but a permanent fixture there.

We also had our neighborhood foot-ball teams in grade school. We had Keller’s (Don Keller of our class) team representing our neighborhood (3rd St./Park Ave), Dimmig’s team (Gary Dimmig of our class) representing the area around Juniper and Main Streets. And, there was the Hoot Gibson team (Hoot was in the class of ’60) that represented the guys from the “other side” of the railroad tracks. (Dick Helm Note: East Side of town known as Richland Centre in early 1900’s)

Anyway, the aforementioned is just interesting facts about the town in the 50’s and 60’s.. Whoops, one last thing, in the early 50’s, the people of Quakertown came together to build the skating shelter in Memorial Park. That was probably one of the neatest things to happen in our town back then...what a beehive of activity those days were...all the materials and labor were donated by the citizens of Quakertown.

I’ll always believe the Class of ‘61 was a very special class at QCHS. I don’t believe we even knew what the word “clique” meant.Yes, we had friends that we did things with, but I also be-lieve there wasn’t a person in our class that we weren’t friends with on an in-dividual basis. Take care, Bill Yanish”

In summary I would like to mention that since Bill’s e-mail, a dear classmate Linnie Foulke passed on and I remember a eulogy that a friend of his gave men-tioning about that east side neighborhood football team Linnie and his brother were a part of, reminding me of Bill’s e-mail. This is how it was—“Back in the Day”.

Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.

- Edward Everett

geissingers Celebrate family at Annual

ReunionIn a world where everything is changing,

the one thing that the Geissinger family can count on is “Family Weekend.” Since the summer of 1988, the descendants of Isaac (1923-2000) and Edna Geissinger camp out at the Quakertown farm. Parents to nine children, grandparents to 31 and great-grandparents to 23, the total family count is 83 and growing!

The weekend begins Friday evening and concludes Sunday afternoon. While activities vary from year to year some highlights include: mud sliding, kick-the-can, swimming, horseback riding (or once a donkey), volleyball, and swapping stories from the previous year.

The farm, where Edna- who just celebrated her 90th birthday – resides resembles a campground during the week-end. Tents and campers scatter the field while cars and trucks line up behind the barn. When the rain or storms come, you can count on tents being moved to the barn for the adventurous ones while others line the living room floor.

While six of the nine siblings reside in the greater Quakertown area, the family continues to grow and spread, some as far as Alaska. Due to the obligations of farming and other scheduling conflicts, attendance is rarely perfect at any given point but you can count on most every-one making an appearance at some point throughout the weekend.

Much of the weekend is unstructured and family members come and go as they must. Meals are divided and shared among the siblings and no one leaves hungry. While a campfire is going most of the weekend, Saturday evening is set aside for a time of singing and fellowship around the fire. Following Sunday morn-ing breakfast is then a time of worship and sharing where the family can share how God is working,

All in all, most would agree that this has been and continues to be an important tradition and a highlight of the summer.

submitted by krista geissinger


move and feel betterDo you have trouble getting out of

your chair, going up or down steps, tak-ing grocery bags out of the trunk or any other basic daily movements? Are you as active as you should be? Are you asking the question “How can I move and feel better?” To feel better there are some simple steps you can take to make basic daily movements easier. If you are not in the best shape and are having trouble just moving everyday then you need to get moving. The more you sit and don’t move, the harder it will get until you are unable to get up. The idea here is “move it or lose it”. This really is a simple con-cept. If you don’t use your muscles, they will begin to weaken and start to become smaller. This is because your body is trying to conserve energy where ever it can. You have to remember that your body is like a machine and it needs to be used to keep it working in top condition. So how do we make this happen? Again the answer is simple. You have to get up and get active. Here are a few simple ideas for you to try. These can be done at home and you don’t need any weights or a gym to do them.

1. Get moving: Let’s start by just getting out. A simple walk around the neighborhood everyday can do wonders for an inactive body. Do this for 30 minutes a day. Start slow and eventually quicken your pace. Before long you’ll see that you can jog it. This is a good start.

2. Get up and down: Have trouble getting in and out of a chair? Let’s do it more often. This is how to do it. Grab a solid chair like from the kitchen table. Maybe even one that is higher than nor-mal. All you are going to do is sit in the chair and stand up. You will do this repeatedly, 12 or more times in a row every day. If you have a lot of trouble, find somewhere you can do this where you can use something to pull yourself up with. Once you become strong enough to do this with ease, switch to a lower and lower chair.

3. Steps: Well, if you had trouble with the chair, chances are you don’t do steps well either. As you do the chair exercise you will begin to get stronger in your legs so steps will become easier. But let’s look at using the steps to help this along. Use the hand rails to help support you and step one foot on the

bottom step. Now step the other foot up to the bottom step. Do this 12 or more times for each foot. Keep the first foot in place for all the reps then switch to the other foot being the fixed foot on the step. As you begin to get stronger then skip a step making the range of motion grater.

4. Bending and picking up: Bending over to pick things up is the best way to hurt your back. Even more so if you are bending over while seated in a chair to pick something off the floor. You need to strengthen your hip exten-sors to help prevent injury. This exercise is called stand and reach. It is what it sounds like. To do this find an object that with challenge your range of motion. Set it out in front of you and then bend at the hips and reach down to the object. Don’t bend your knees a lot when doing this but they can and should be slightly bent. Try to focus on keeping your back flat. Start with the object elevated and lower it until it’s only a spot on the floor. Do this slowly on the way down to touch and move faster on the way up. Again 12 or more reps.

5. Lifting: For having trouble lifting grocery bags and such. Take 2 grocery bags (double or triple them up if needed). Grab some cans of food from the pantry and fill each bag to your ability of lifting comfortably. Now, with one in each hand and palms facing up, you can do some simple arm curls. Also picking them up off the table and setting them back down will help you to gain more strength in this movement.

As you can see even your most ba-sic everyday movements are able to be strengthened by simply doing them more. When you push yourself to use your muscles more you begin to adapt and be-come stronger. So, the answer to “How can I move and feel better?” is Move More. Get up, get out, get moving, and get stronger.

Corbin is a graduate of the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI). He is a certified strength and conditioning coach and a certified nutrition coach. He is the owner of GetReal Training, LLC in Sellersville, PA. Contact him at 215-416-5757 or visit his web site at getrealtraining.net for more information.

After 28 Years, musikfest Still Strong

Bethlehem Pennsylvania may have stopped producing steel- but they’ve only increased the instrumental sound of it. August 3rd signaled the beginning of the ten-day music extravaganza known as Musikfest. Musikfest started in 1984 and brought in 182,000 people and featured 295 performances; a big number for the first year running. This year, over five hundred performances were given to crowds reaching 920,000 people; a seven percent increase from last year’s concert.

After twenty-nine years of success, Musikfest continues to become bigger and better than ever before. Recently, the festival expanded to the Art’s Quest cam-pus located on the previous Bethlehem Steel property. This location is home to the 7,200-seat Sands Steel Stage, which features a different mainstream perfor-mance every night of the festival. It is also the only stage out of fifteen to require purchase of tickets. This was the larg-est number of free stages offered in all twenty-nine years.

Young the Giant and Portugal the Man kicked off the first night on this major stage leaving the crowd in excited antici-pation for the nine remaining days. The rest of the weekly line-up featured perfor-mances by headliners such as, Daughtry, Sheryl Crow, and the Goo Goo Dolls. MGMT, the Indie Rock/Electronic band famous amongst youth, made their sole concert for the year at Sands Steel Stage.

Five hundred free performances were also given throughout the week from local and non local artists on the rise. Hundreds of vendors filled the streets selling their

commemorative and unique merchandise. Irresistible smells wafted throughout the festival from the hundreds of local food sellers features goodies such as seasoned corn on the cob, funnel cake, and home-made tacos.

One hundred and thirty five corporate partners combined with 1,968 volunteers allowed Musikfest to run smoothly. The amount of volunteers increased by almost two hundred people from last year’s num-bers. These helpful hands were not only local; residents were accounted for from eleven different states. Without these vol-unteers the success of Musikfest would not have been achieved.

Arts Quest President, Jeff Parks com-mented on this year’s success, especially regarding the new features, “We received a lot of positive feedback to the changes at this year’s festival, including the free concerts at the PNC Series at the Musikfest Café and the addition of Martin Guitar Lyrikplatz and the new KNBT Jazz Cabaret Stage at the ArtsQuest Center’s Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas. In ad-dition, festival patrons enjoyed the new Mack Truck Stop and, of course, all of the indoor bathrooms at the Visitors Center,”

Musikfest brought in crowds from all over the country, excited to partake in this celebration of the arts. It poured six out of the ten days, but even the rain couldn’t keep the music from sounding. Many endured the weather and some even found it refreshing in comparison to the usual August humidity. Whether you are a music lover or just love to eat and shop Musikfest proved to be the go to family fun festival for the twenty-ninth year in a row.

photo by amber qalagari


Assessing Walt disney Autographs

I am often asked to evaluate autographs of famous people. Some autographs are found on a personal letter or note, on a glossy photograph, or even on a piece of scrap paper. There are some rules of thumb when it comes to assessing autographs.

For instance, content is always king. With all autographs, value is increased if the autograph is accompanied by some content relating to the famous person who signed their name. To have content that relates to the signer with an authentic autograph is more valuable to collectors than just a simple autograph. For ex-ample, a letter signed by Marilyn Monroe complaining about her failing marriage to husband and baseball great Joe DiMaggio is much more valuable than just a cocktail napkin with Marilyn Monroe’s signature on it.

master of the mouseOne of best known autographs is that

of the American entertainment icon, Walt Disney. Walt Disney’s signature actually became the logo for the Walt Disney Company and for the Walt Disney Classics Collection. The logo is based on Disney’s signature from the early 1940s and used on company artwork.

Walt Disney autographs were signed by both Walt Disney and by his authorized employees. Over the years, at least a dozen Disney Studio staff members signed Walt Disney’s name to comics, fan items, promotional material, etc. The most com-mon authorized signatures of Walt Disney were signed by Hank Porter during the 1930s and 1940s and later, by Bob Moore in the 1950s.

Artist Bob Moore joined The Walt Disney Studios as an apprentice animator in 1940. He contributed to animated clas-sics such as Dumbo, The Three Caballeros, and Make Mine Music. Moore was named head of the publicity and marketing de-partment and designed Disney movie posters, Christmas cards, logos, and let-terheads. He was one of Disney’s official “autographers” and he signed numerous items (photographs and letters) with Walt Disney’s famous signature. He designed Sam the Eagle for the 1984 Olympic Games and murals housed in Walt Disney Elementary Schools located in Tullytown, PA and Anaheim, CA.

Walt Disney never drew the popular Sunday newspaper Mickey Mouse comic strip or comic book nor did he sign all of his autographs either. Every piece of

artwork was “signed” with a Walt Disney signature but Walt Disney did not provide every signature. Some signatures came from a production artist, not from Walt Disney himself.

Sign here!Authentic Walt Disney autographs,

those that Disney signed by his own hand, differ depending on the stage of his life. The signatures dating to the 1920s differ from those of the early 1960s. He signed his name in both cursive and block print (known as Roman lettering) and he used every type of writing instrument to sign his name including pencils, markers, fountain pens, ballpoint pens, and crayons.

Walt re-designed his own signature over the years, in very much the same way he changed the appearance of Mickey Mouse. The most common Walt Disney signatures date from the period after 1954 when Disney was seen regularly on television and up to the time of his death in 1967, at age 65. These autographs are among the most popular and collectible.

On Discovery channel’s Auction Kings, I will highlight a collection of famous autographs and their worth while demon-strating the tricks so you can spot a fake. It is interesting to note that an authentic Walt Disney autograph can actually command more money from collectors than that of most autographs of our U.S. Presidents. About 40 of our Presidents’ autographs are worth less on the collectibles market than an authentic Walt Disney autograph. What’s more, it has been said that Disney’s autograph is the most recognizable in the world.

Ph.D. antiques aPPraiser, author, anD awarD-winning tV Personality, Dr. lori Presents antique aPPraisal eVents nation-wiDe. Dr. lori is the exPert aPPraiser on DiscoVery channel’s auction Kings airs thursDays at 9 PM. Visit www.DrloriV.coM, www.FacebooK.coM/Doctorlori or call (888) 431-1010.

linksz legacy to linger in bucks

County“The average tenure of a community col-

lege president is somewhere around five or six years before people move on, or get pitched out. I’m pleased I didn’t get the latter,” joked retiring President of Bucks County Community College, Dr. James Linksz. His twenty year service to the col-lege will end this month.

It was Linksz’ choice to step down now because he believes the time is right for a fresh perspective, even though he has not lost enthusiasm or energy for the job. He said, “I wake up, and come to work in the morning and say, ‘Wow, there’s still all of this interesting stuff to be done.’”

As a college president though, “you have to think of the college as a whole, it’s kind of a trust that you take on,” he said adding that now, “it might be good for the college to get a different person’s view from the CEO’s chair, to bring in another person with other views, from a different part of the country, who is excited to do the inter-esting things.”

Linksz’ accomplishments are many and varied, but when asked about stand-out events, he said, “I don’t know that it’s the events so much as it is what the events represent. Obvious ones are cutting the ribbons on the Upper Bucks and Lower Bucks campuses.”

Of the Perkasie location he said, “Clearly it was an interesting event, and a lot of fun to celebrate, but it represents the culmina-tion of a lot of work, by a lot of people to get something done.”

Rodney Altemose, Executive Director of the Upper Bucks campus said, “This campus wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for him, and his whole vision of a multi- campus institution.”

On the day he was hired to run the cam-pus, Altemose recalled that Linksz said, “He didn’t just want this to be a building. He wanted it to be a campus where students from this part of the county are able to real-ize all of the same services that any other sites or campuses have.”

Board of Trustees member and local realtor, Thomas Skiffington agreed. “Dr. Linksz has made so many contributions to Bucks County Community College and the community as a whole; it is hard to pick just one. However, one of the best is his role in bringing a state-of-the-art facility to Upper Bucks County.” The result today he said is, “It easier for our residents to get a quality education for affordable prices right in Upper Bucks County.”

With an enrollment of 1,500 students this fall, the Upper Bucks campus is thriving.

The legacy Linksz leaves includes a Distance Learning Program that did not exist in 1992 when he began. In addition, there is improved technology infrastruc-ture, which was once, “very poor and far behind,” he said.

Accreditation of eight college programs including Art, Business Studies, Music, Associate Degree Nursing, Paralegal, Radiography and the Practical Nursing Program, are examples of his stellar leader-ship, which Linksz said are, “celebrations of a long line of excellence of work by lots of people, putting them together.”

Linksz credits a stable Board of Trustees for “making a difference in the condition of the college and the commitment that the community has to it.”

Foundation Executive Director, Tobias Bruhn said, “Dr. Linksz has been an avid supporter of the Foundation, and the growth of the institution has provided many new opportunities to the Foundation to approach individuals, and the Bucks County busi-ness community, to make an investment in higher education.”

Providing some insight on the view from inside his office, Dr. Linksz explained that the President’s focus is equally outside as well as inside the college, working with leg-islators, politicians, county commissioners, and community volunteers and organiza-

tions. Generally, being “connected at a high level to lots of other organizations,” like the Bucks County Opportunity Council, or the YMCA/YWCA, is part of the job.

Linksz thinks fondly of his service with the Board the Pearl Buck Foundation, the Bristol Riverside Theater, and the David Library of the American Revolution. “You get a wonderful feeling of the community as a whole that sometimes you don’t get when your job is inside,” such as the chief academic officer.

When asked about his hopes for what re-mains undone for incoming president, Dr. Stephanie Shanblatt, Linksz said, “On the top of my desk, I probably have 50 ideas that I have yet to implement.”

He did offer suggestions, that he believes are natural continuations of her talents and interests. One is continuing to see im-provement in how the college is governed internally, noting that there are some dys-functions. Further, he believes there is more to be done with respect to some of the cur-ricula. He cited that the strong Continuing Education program and the strong academic program “don’t necessarily mesh as nicely as would be valuable for our students.”

Linksz pointed out that, as Dr. Shanblatt is an “exemplar of a woman in science, and I think we have more things to do with women in science, the whole stem fields: science, technology, engineering and math-ematics, that are very important for our country at this point, and I think she’ll be well-positioned to move the college ahead. We have a very strong science and math faculty, and I think there’s yet more that can be accomplished.”

Beyond Dr. Linksz’ accomplishments are the opinions of faculty and staff that speak to his character.

Professor Charles Beem, Business Studies, noted, “He is gifted in his ability to articulate the right message, at the right time, to the appropriate audience,” whether comprised of “students, Board of Trustees members, the public, or PA legislators.”

Vice President of Student Affairs, Barbara Yetman said, “Dr. Linksz has al-ways placed the student at the center of his philosophy and actions. He is a gentleman, a scholar, and a visionary leader.”

Joanne Peck, of the President’s Office said, “We will miss the Boss! He’s been a great leader and ‘a man of integrity’!”

Bruhn (Foundation) added, “He is very passionate about his job and what our students need to be successful at Bucks and in life.”

While Linksz characterized his own ten-ure as “a good experience overall,” he looks forward to engaging in his love of painting and drawing, joining his children on some distance bicycling events, spending time with his wife, and getting to better know his young grandchildren.

When asked if it seems like twenty years have passed, Linksz said, “Absolutely not. It has just really flown by. It seems so recently that I was thinking this might be something fun to try.”


The Right Tool for the JobI still can’t guess what possessed him to do

so, but back when I was about ten, my dad bought me a hatchet. It was a nice one. It had a tight-grained wooden handle and a razor sharp, shiny steel head. He was a Boy Scout leader. I was a Cub Scout by then, and had had some training in “tote-n-chip” safety practices. The only restriction my parents put on using the hatchet was: chop only dead wood. They were afraid I’d hack down the neighbor’s cherry tree.

I didn’t try to make or carve anything with it. I just chopped stuff to smithereens. They made me rake up all the chips and splinters. I ran out of sticks and old 2 X 4’s pretty quick. When the dead wood supply ran low, I went across the Licking Run to the neighbor’s woods lot and chopped on stumps and a big log until he saw the potential and chased me off.

I lived across from the Neidig Elementry School. Quakertown Borough had recently put in a foot bridge across the creek so kids didn’t have to walk up to Ambler Street and around, or get muddy crossing the stepping stones at Penrose Street. The bridge had steel I-beams supporting the span and concrete abutments, but, for the most part, it was made of…yep, dead wood. I chopped the hell out of it.

I don’t know why it seemed like an okay thing to do. My buddies thought it was great, but the borough didn’t like it one bit. It was a much bigger deal than I expected. When they called me down to the school office to talk to the police, I gave them the dead wood argu-ment. They yelled at my dad for letting me run around the neighborhood with a hatchet and made him pay to fix the bridge. He took my hatchet away and locked it up in one of his tool boxes.

I’m in charge of the maintenance depart-ment at a wastewater treatment plant. I’ve seen hundreds of different tools. Some of them have limited, specific uses. Some are multi-purpose. A tool expert (whatever that is), once said, “Often, by design or coincidence, a tool may share key functional attributes with one or more tools.” Who hasn’t used a screwdriver as a chisel or a pry bar, or a paperclip as a toothpick? Some of the misuse of tools I’ve witnessed, even by experienced mechanics, ranges from frightening and dangerous to hi-larious and ridiculous.

One weekend, I assigned a couple of the guys, Tony and Benny, to disassemble and remove some ductwork in one of our build-ings. I wasn’t sure how far they’d get. Since all the screws and bolts were corroded, I got them what I thought was the proper tool for the job, a small grinder with thin, ‘cut-off wheel’ discs, to remove the support straps and brack-ets. I reminded them to use appropriate eye, ear and hand protection and went off on other business.

Half an hour later I got a call on the radio. “This stainless steel is just eating up the grind-ing discs. We’re getting nowhere, fast,” Tony, griped.

I was busy and said I’d get back up there as soon as I could.

A few minutes later I got a call from, Benny. He’d apparently had a brainstorm. “Bring us a couple of big screw drivers…and a hammer,” he said.

I wondered about it for a minute. Big screw-drivers wouldn’t help much getting the little screws loose. I figured he was planning to use them either as a chisel to knock the heads off the bolts, or as a pry bar to break things apart. Maybe it wasn’t the appropriate use of a screwdriver, but…if it got the job done. It was a good forty-five minutes before I got free. I stopped by the maintenance shop; got three of the biggest screwdrivers we had and headed up there.

There was a big section of ductwork out in the driveway already. It looked like some-body had been working on it with a giant can opener. I heard loud, metallic banging inside. I couldn’t find the guys at first. They had an-other section down, ready to haul out of the building, and had moved up to the second level already. I was impressed.

Tony was standing there watching. Benny was up on a stepladder hidden behind the duct-work, banging away. Tony didn’t hear me with all the noise and didn’t see me at first. I tapped him on the shoulder.

“Here’s your screwdrivers,” I said when he turned around.

“We don’t need them,” he said. “We found a hatchet.”

“A hatchet!?” I said.“Yea, it works great. It cuts right through,

real easy.” He rushed over to support the next section as it began to sag. The two of them lowered it to the ground.

“Hey! It’s my turn!” Tony said, when Benny started to go back up the ladder.

“Let me do one more section,” Benny ar-gued. He possessively pulled back the hatchet when Tony reached for it.

“No. It’s my turn!” Tony insisted. “You’ve had two turns already.”

I thought about taking away their hatchet and locking it up in a toolbox, but had second thoughts. They both were wearing eye and ear protection and leather gloves; and, they were making great headway. I figured, “What the heck? Have at it, boys.” Sometimes it’s hard to tell which is the right tool for the job.

see otHer articles by Jack at:HttP://Jack-H-scHick.wrytestuff.coM

State House Education Committee Reviews School

library fundingOn August 23 State Rep. Paul Clymer

(R-145) led a meeting of the House Education Committee on the topic of school library funding. The meeting was held specifically to review and discuss the State Board of Education School Library Study of 2011.

“School libraries are critical com-ponents in fostering better literacy and creative thinking among our students, and I welcome discussion on this issue and how we can improve library services in our schools,” said Clymer. “It is clear through the study conducted that access, staffing and funding of school libraries are issues that need to be better addressed for the benefit of our students.”

he State Board of Education School Library Study of 2011 was conducted as a result of House Resolution 987 of 2010, which encouraged the Board of Education to undertake a study of school library resources and services for students in K-12 by measuring and comparing funding, facilities, access to print and electronic resources, professional support and instruction among the state’s school libraries.

“I was concerned to learn through the study that, on average, staffing, funding, access and resources are inadequate for achieving optimal benefit from these spe-cialized educators,” said Clymer. “This study clearly illustrates that we need to look more closely at this issue and make sure that our school libraries are be-ing used in a way that most benefits the students.”

In the 2011 Guidelines for Pennsylvania School Library Programs, a benchmark

for funding was set at $41 per student for elementary schools, $45 per student for elementary schools and $50 per student for high schools; however, Clymer point-ed to the study that revealed 39 percent of school districts only allocated between $1 and $10 per student for library resources and 3 percent provided no funding at all.

Eileen Kern from the Pennsylvania School Library Association stressed that more attention and importance needs to be placed on school library services to ensure better educational outcomes for students. “In 22 states over the past 25 years, research studies have confirmed that ef-fective school library programs directly impact student achievement. Students in schools with quality school library pro-grams learn more, earn better grades, and score as much as 22 percent higher on standardized tests than their peers,” she said.

“This study has only further served to strengthen my conviction as to the impor-tance of school libraries,” said Clymer. “With the information contained in this study, we can now present a strong case when discussions begin for the 2013-14 state budget for the necessity of provid-ing additional funding for this important educational component.”

Testifiers as the hearing included rep-resentatives from the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, the Education Law Center, the Pennsylvania Parent Teacher Association, as well as a university professor, school superin-tendent, school librarians, a recent high school student and college student.

New Upper bucks Chamber Office

Renovation UnderwayCleanup and construction has begun

to turn the former Marketplace Barn on Main Street in Quakertown into the new offices for the Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce and an Upper County Visitor’s Center. Tara King, executive director of the Chamber, is excited and impressed with the sup-port the organization has received from various organizations and Quakertown Borough, which is donating the labor for the construction. The borough also owns the building.

The Chamber expects to be out of their current building on Route 663 in Milford Township and fully into their new facility by mid to late September.

The Quakertown Historical Society and the Chamber welcome the help of area businesses and residents to con-tinue to move the project forward as it progresses.


Happy (M - 9yrs) is a terrier mix who was brought to the shelter after his ownerpassed away. He is a “complete gentleman” who will fit right into your heart and home.

Optimus (M - 11yrs) is a kitty in his “Prime”. He’s a beautiful Maine Coon cat with a person-ality as big as he is. [oPtiMus was Just adoPted at Press tiMe. He says ‘eat your Heart out!]

We’ve featured Cagney (f - 1yr) before and cannot understand why no one has come toget her yet. This sweet little girl is quite the talker and very friendly. She also gets along well with other cats.

Pets-a-Plenty at Upper Bucks Shelters

Last Chance Ranch has many animals ready and waiting for their new forever homes. Ranging in age from babies to seniors, sizes small to extra large. Please make room in your home and your heart for a rescued animal.

Benji is a purebred Shih Tzu who was used for breeding before he came to LCR. Benji is shy at first, since he has never really been loved by humans the way a dog should. Benji is a few years old, is now neutered, up to date with vac-cinations, microchipped and waiting for a new home! Please consider adopting Benji!

Lindsey is a beautiful 67 lb chocolate lab. We are estimating her age at 3-5 yrs since she was found roaming the streets in Philly. Lind-sey is an energetic, sweet girl who gets along with other dogs. She would be a wonderful ad-dition to your family!

Kittens! Last Chance Ranch has kittens that need homes. Through the month of September, kittens have a special adoption fee of only $10. They are spayed or neutered, microchipped,

and current on their shots. If you were con-sidering bringing a kitten into your home, now is the time!

Contact Last Chance Ranch at 215-538-2510 if you are interested in any of our dogs, cats, horses or birds available for adoption!

877-577-7391 QUAKERTOWNMITSUBISHI.com840 S WEST ENd Blvd QUAKERTOWN, PA

MITSUBISHI†Severity of credit may affect down payment, APR and terms. Bankruptcies must be discharged. Job and steady residence required.

FRESH STARTP R O G R A M

THE

HAd SOME CREdIT TROUBlE?HAvEN’T ESTABlISHEd CREdIT YET?

WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT CAN HELP!

• Get Approved in 15 minutes• Down Payments Starting at $699• Low Weekly Repayment Program• Free State Inspection for Life• We Report to the Credit Bureaus to Help Get Your Credit re-established

faster• We have a wide variety of Cars, Trucks and Vans for The Fresh Start Program!

It is as easy as 1-2-3!

CAll 877-577-7391 OR vISIT QUAKERTOWNMITSUBISHI.COM TO GET STARTEd!

†

Bootsy (M - 3yrs) was originally rescued from a high-kill shelter down South. Unfortunately, the new shelter couldn’t keep Bootsy and so he was brought to the SPCA. He’s got a Southern gentleman’s personality and loves to have his belly rubbed. While he gets along with everyone, he doesn’t do well with cats or small animals.

These and many other animals are available for adoption through the Bucks County SPCA – Upper Bucks branch. The shelter is located at 60 reservoir Road (just off California Road) in Richland Township. You can also reach them at 267-347-4674 or at their website at bcspca.org.


BlueBird Blue Jay

Cardinal CatBird

ChiCkadee CowBird

Crow

FliCkerGoldFinCh

GraCklehouse FinCh

humminGBirdJunCo

moCkinGBirdmourninG dove

roBinsparrowstarlinG

woodpeCkerwren

A 2007 study conducted by American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 37.2 % of American households have dogs while 32.4% households have pet cats. Those of us who share our homes and lives with a cat or cats know they have a language all their own. Here are a few cat fallacies and facts to help you find a path for better understanding our feline friends.

Cats have a poorer sense of smell than people. false.

A cat nose contains 45 to 80 million recep-tors compared to the human nose which only has about 5 million receptors. Cats also have a special gland located in the mouth called the Jacobson gland which allows them to interpret different smells. Have you ever seen your cat approach an object, sniff it then part her mouth while continuing to stand near the object? That’s the Jacobson gland in action.

This heightened sense of smell makes cats sensitive to changes in food, litter and home life. On average, a cat may need six months to one year to adjust to big changes like moving or the addition of a new pet. Small variations like switching foods or litter may take a few weeks to months. Scents are very important to cats. Introduce felines to new animals through scent exchanging, before they see each other. Use a clean towel to pet the new animal. Leave the towel where your resident cat can find it. Take your resident pet’s bedding and place it in the room of the new cat. Help a newly adopted cat will feel at home by spread-ing their scent around their adjustment room. Use a clean sock to rub under the cat’s chin. That’s where the friendly cat pheromones are located. Rub the sock at cat height on furni-ture, walls and on protruding corners. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to see or smell it, but your cat will.

Cats spend most of the day eating and little time sleeping. false.

A cat can spend twelve to fourteen hours a day or more, sleeping. A cat’s normal routine should be like this: sleep, hunt, eat, groom. When one of these elements are missing, it causes stress which can lead to behavior is-sues. Inside every cat is a hunter whose drive to hunt or use hunting skills doesn’t dissipate because he is fed dry or canned food. Laser pointers, feather toys or teasers allow cats to use their hunting energy and can help the adult feline shed an extra pound or two. Keep your favorite feline on the road to mental and physi-cal health by incorporating play into your cat’s

fun with felines and factsdaily routine, before meal time. If your free feed your cat, changing from a bowl to a toy that dispenses food gives your cat a chance to use his hunting skills. More information about feeding from toys, called Enrichment Feeding, can be found at http://www.bcspca.org/gen-eral/animal-behavior-helpline.html under our general handouts.

Cats can have preferences for litter box location, type, and smell. true.

Smell, location, and the type of litter is im-portant to a cat, so it should be important to us, especially if we want our cat to use the box, every time. When viewing the litter box from a cat perspective, ask yourself these questions.

-Is my litter box out of sight and out of mind? Cleanliness is a big deal to a cat. Over the course of a week, the cat litter absorbs the odor of urine and feces. To a cat’s sensitive nose, if the litter box smells full it is the same as being full. Scoop the litter box daily and ev-ery week to two weeks, dump the box, scrub it and refill with fresh litter. For cats with litter box issues, scoop the box at least twice a day.

-Are there any noises that could scare my cat when using the box? Turn the dryer chime to off or move the litter box away from a noisy heater.

-Does my cat like the type, smell and depth of the litter? Cat who like a softer feel tend to prefer scoop-able litter while pelleted litters feel hard. The cats who like to scratch and cover in the box may need two inches of litter while other cats like the litter to only cover the bottom of the box. Remember, cats have a significantly better sense of smell than ours. Litters that smell nice to us can overwhelm a cat.

-Is your litter box covered or uncovered? Covered litter boxes offer more privacy for a shy cat but also limit a cat’s line of sight. Covered boxes need more frequent cleaning as the cover keeps the smell of urine and feces contained.

. diane Herstine cPdt-ka is a certified doG

trainer tHrouGH tHe assn of Pet doG trainers. for tHe Past 15 years, resident trainer and be-Haviorist for bucks county sPca, diane HelPs tHe coMMunity learn about aniMal beHavior & traininG tHrouGH bcsPca’s Public doG and PuP-Py obedience classes & beHavior HelPline. diane resides in Quakertown witH bcsPca aluMni, PantHer tHe cHow border collie Mix, newly adoPted JasPer, tHe 14 year old abyssinian and tHaddeus, tHe clicker trained cat.

It turns out that State Senator Bob Mensch and State Representative Paul Clymer both shop at the same store. Here they helped the Harr Family celebrate 100 years in business for Sine’s 5 & 10.


xxx


The Upper Bucks Free Press is your publication, made possible by the businesses and story contributors you see on these pages. Thank those businesses for their support and join your neighbors in restoring our community’s voice.

Always you. Always .QNB

QNBYo u r C o m m u n i t y B a n k

For ALL Your Loan Needs

Call: 215-538-5600 or 1-800-491-9070 Click: www.QNB.comVisit: Any of our nine convenient locations in Coopersburg, Dublin, Pennsburg, Perkasie, Quakertown, Souderton and Wescosville

AutoMotorcycleUnsecuredQNB Visa Credit Cards

MortgagesHome EquityLines of CreditManufactured Home Loans

Lines of CreditDemand and Term LoansCommercial MortgagesConstruction Financing

Pup-Paw-looza of music and games Raises funds for last Chance Ranch

Dog lovers united on Saturday August 25th at Country Creek Winery in Telford, as Last Chance Ranch (LCR) of Richland Township hosted their first ever Pup-Paw-Looza fundraising event. This all day outdoor music festival featured seven local bands, with The Mighty Manatees as the headlining band. Whether you have kids or your pup is the only little one you have, this event was fun for the entire family. In addition to the music there was face-painting for the kids, food and merchandise vendors for

the adults, and games for the dogs. All proceeds from the event went to

Last Chance Ranch, a nonprofit orga-nization dedicated to finding homes for abandoned or mistreated pets. They op-erate solely on grants and donations so fundraisers such as this are essential to their sustainability.

Jackie Burke, an LCR representa-tive, gave some insight into the business side of the ranch, “Our annual expenses are about $500,000. We are really hoping this event helps us cover some of our costs.” Their goal for Pup-Paw-Looza was to raise about ten to fifteen

thousand, in actuality they brought in hun-dreds people and raised almost $10,000.

Last Chance Ranch is currently partici-pating in Rachel Ray’s $1000K Challenge. They must place six hundred adoptions of dogs and cats by October 31st to re-ceive a $100,000 prize which will go towards the maintenance of their facil-ity. According to their website they have reached just over one hundred adoptions, but still have quite a ways to go. If you would like to adopt a pet, donate, or find out more about Last Chance Ranch visit their website at lastchanceranch.org. photo by dan suardi / 1000 words photography

upper bucks free press • september 2012

Documents