Wissahickon, Cheltenham, William Tennent High School Swimming
January 26th, 2013Wissahickon Vs. Cheltenham
Wissahickon Vs. William Tennent
Free Community Telescope Observatory Night
January 22nd, 2013Montgomery County Community College will host the first of three spring semester Community Observatory Nights on Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 7-9 p.m.in its state-of-the-art Observatory and on the Observation Deck, weather permitting. The Observatory is located on the third floor of the College’s Advanced Technology Center, Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Please call the observatory hotline, 215-641-6460, an hour before the scheduled event for information about cancellation.
Community nights are free of charge and are open to the public, and astronomy clubs are welcome. Students from the College’s Introduction to Astronomy course volunteer during the event to share their knowledge and assist visitors with using the telescope and viewing equipment.
The Observatory and Observation Deck are features of the College’s 60,000 square-foot Advanced Technology Center. The Observatory features a 16-inch MEADE Schmidt-Cassegrain research-level telescope and a 90-mm Coronado telescope for safe observation of the sun. All of the instruments are controllable both in the classroom as well as in the Observatory itself. Through a fiber network, images can be downloaded for further study and comparison and can be used in online courses.
Wissahickon High School Swim Team 2013
January 21st, 2013Wissahickon Vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh
Wissahickon Vs. Central Bucks West
Ambler Environmental Action Committee
January 17th, 2013The Ambler Environmental Action Committee is an Environmental Advisory Council made up of a group of community residents, seven of whom are appointed by Borough Council. The members devote time and energy to assist elected and appointed officials in protecting the environment. Monthly Ambler EAC Meetings are held on the second Wednesday at 7:00PM ( public welcome!)
Promote Website Design
January 16th, 2013Glistening Web is a Montgomery County business founded in 1995. Pioneers of the Internet, Glistening Web put the first record company, mortgage application and shopping mall on the web. The Montgomery County Board of Realtors was at the forefront of technology when they partnered with Glistening Web to be the first organized real estate listings on the ‘net.
Glistening web works with small, medium and large size businesses to design, create, host and promote their websites. SEO, Twitter, Facebook and social networking are all part of the marketing, but it’s still important to remember “content is king“.
Wissahickon, Springfield and Central Bucks East Swimming
January 12th, 2013Wissahickon High School Swim Team Vs. Springfield
and
Wissahickon High School Swim Team Vs. Central Bucks East
Stills from the videos by KingArthur.com and available on the KingArthur.com YouTube Channel.
Food Preservation
January 9th, 2013Worcester, PA – If you have ever wondered how the colonists preserved their meats, then visit the historic Peter Wentz Farmstead on Saturday, January 12, 2013 between 10:00am and 3:00pm. The smokehouse will be smoking and guests will have the opportunity to see and learn about the various methods of keeping and preserving meats.
The historical method of preserving meats by hanging them within a structure with a “cool fire” was part of early farm life. The focus of the day’s activities will be on pork and pork by-products typically consumed on a Pennsylvania German farm in the 18th and 19th centuries. Also take time to tour the 1758 farmhouse and the summer kitchen where an exhibit of food processing equipment will be on display.
For more information about this program and others, please call the Peter Wentz Farmstead at 610-584-5104 or visit www.historicsites.montcopa.org and click on Peter Wentz Farmstead. The restored 18th century Pennsylvania German historic site is owned and operated by the County of Montgomery and receives support from the Peter Wentz Farmstead Society. The site is regularly open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm with guided tours every forty-five minutes.
Emergency Radio System
January 6th, 2013Norristown, PA – The Montgomery County Commissioners voted unanimously to enter into a $29.974 million contract with Motorola Solutions, Inc. to replace the county’s emergency radio system. The commissioners additionally agreed to a $9.882 million contract with Motorola for a 10-year maintenance contract for the system.
As recently as 2011, the previous county administration was using estimates of $100 million and up for the cost of the infrastructure and radio portion of the project. The $29.9 million figure includes $23.85 million for infrastructure equipment and installation of necessary microwave relays and the necessary software to upgrade 3,400 currently owned subscriber radio units. This would include the installation of 10 new radio towers throughout Montgomery County to eliminate dead zones and generally improve communications throughout the system.
The remainder of the $29.9 million ($6.124 million) would be used for the purchase of 1,800 additional radio units.
The commissioners took the action at their public meeting on Thursday, and then were joined by police chiefs, fire chiefs, EMS personnel and other first responders and law enforcement officials from throughout the county at a press conference announcing the contract.
“Our fundamental responsibilities as commissioners are to protect the safety and well-being our residents and to further protect the fiscal well-being of the county and make sure that taxpayer dollars are well-spent,” said Josh Shapiro, chairman of the commissioners. “Today we accomplished both. Under this contract, we are able to do more than was originally anticipated and we were able to do it for 70 percent less than the previous board said it would cost.”
Commissioner Bruce Castor, who was designated to lead the effort to identify what was needed for the upgrade and how to do it, praised the working committees he put together made up of police, fire, EMS, other public safety entities and municipal officials for their hard work.
“This was a long time coming,” said Castor, who voted against the attempt by the previous administration to address the situation. “Commissioners Shapiro and Richards placed their trust in me to lead this effort, and with the help of our excellent county staff and the stakeholders on the committee we have arrived at this wonderful day.”
Commissioner Leslie Richards was equally ebullient about the contract. “A year ago I was a supervisor in Whitemarsh Township faced with the daunting amount of money the previous administration said this would cost,” she said. “I felt like the necessary homework had not been done and local municipalities were being asked to make major commitments without that homework being finished. Today, I feel the total opposite of frustration.”
Speaking for the chiefs of police, Chief Mark Toomey praised the commissioners “for pushing this difficult rock up the hill. Our infrastructure is at a critical point, and I thank the commissioners for having the courage to bring this to fruition.”
Motorola is expected to begin work on the upgrades early in 2013 after the contracts are finalized.
“This is a great day for the taxpayers of Montgomery County and an even better day for the first responders of Montgomery County,” Shapiro said.
From Left: Commissioners Castor, Shapiro, and Richards were joined by police chiefs, fire chiefs, EMS personnel and other first responders and law enforcement officials from throughout the county at a press conference announcing the contract.
Bus Routes 94 and 132 Saved
December 29th, 2012AMBLER, PA – As a result of the loss of county funding, SEPTA held public hearings in mid-October to consider discontinuing weekday evening and selected Saturday and Sunday trips on Routes 94 and 132. Route 94 connects Montgomery Mall and Chestnut Hill, serving Montgomery County Community College and Ambler. Route 132 connects Telford and Montgomery Mall, serving Lansdale. Based on the feedback received during the public hearings, SEPTA re-evaluated the proposal, with the goal of preserving the most critical service in a cost-efficient manner. The new service plan retains trips that serve the needs of evening shift workers and Community College students. The plan has been developed in conjunction with Montgomery County officials. While schedule details are being finalized, with changes to be effective February 17, 2013, the plan is as follows:
Route 94
• The last nighttime trips from Montgomery Mall and Montgomery County Community College will be retained at or near the current time, allowing workers who close stores at the mall or who have evening classes to retain service.
• Some evening trip times are being modified to allow for more efficient use of SEPTA buses and financial resources.
• Sunday service will be scaled to reflect retail opening and closing times, with limited midday service.
Route 132
• The last nighttime trips from Montgomery Mall will be retained at the current time, allowing workers who close stores at the mall to retain service.
• Saturday morning trips, while adjusted, will still provide access to retail businesses prior to store opening times.
• Some evening trip times are being modified to allow for more efficient use of SEPTA buses and financial resources. The last nighttime trip from Telford will operate earlier than currently scheduled.
• Sunday service will be scaled to reflect retail opening and closing times, with limited midday service.
Wordsworth Academy on Sandy Hook Elementary
December 28th, 2012FORT WASHINGTON, PA — A local student from the Wordsworth Academy, Adriana Periera, authored the following poem reflecting on the school shootings:
20 lives, 20 souls, 20 futures, 20 changes, 20 possible world changes
20 kids
Gone !!
Because of 1 foolish, selfish act.
6 people, 6 lives, 6 brave hearts that risked their lives to protect the countless number of children that were there that tragic day.
26 in all, 26 always loved, 26 never to be forgotten.
May those 26 lay in peace.
May those 26 families find comfort.
May the victims of Newtown, CT, Sandy Hook, never be forgotten because of 1 person’s horrible choice.
This poem is dedicated to the children and adults that lost their lives on December 14, 2012.
-Adriana Periera
Wordsworth Academy
