Most Philly folk remember hearing or seeing the news a couple weeks ago, when there was an eight-alarm fire in Conshohocken that destroyed 180 apartments.

Well, for those who'd like to help while enjoying good beer and good company, A Rubber Door gives the 411 on an upcoming fundraiser for victims of the fire. It's happening at Guppy's Good Times on Saturday, September 6, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Click here to read the details at A Rubber Door.

HIWAY THEATRE Announces Opening Night Line-up, February 15th
Exclusive Q&A with Last Stop for Paul Writer, Dir. & Prod. Neil Mandt
The Most Award Winning Independent Film of ‘07
Road Trips and Amazing Journeys film series runs Feb. 15-21st

PHILADELPHIA – On February 15th, the Hiway Theatre, located at 212 Old York Road in Jenkintown, will premiere the film series, Road Trips and Amazing Journeys to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the historic theatre’s reopening. The opening night celebration will begin with a screening of director Walter Salles’ acclaimed feature The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), chronicling the adventures of a young Che Guevara, followed by the featured selection for the evening – the critically acclaimed comedy Last Stop for Paul. Hailed as, “A unique accomplishment. Always entertaining. Very funny and at times quite touching” by film critic Richard Roeper, the film is slated for theatrical release in March. Following the exclusive screening, Writer, Producer and Director Neil Mandt will be on hand for a Q&A with audience members. The evening will close with a late night screening of The Secret Cinema’s collection of vintage travel films. [A full schedule of opening night follows below.]

The Road Trips and Amazing Journeys film series runs thru February 21st at the Hiway Theatre. For tickets, information on upcoming events and the history of the theatre, visit www.hiwaytheatre.org or call (215) 886-9800.

Last Stop for Paul – Winner of 45 International Festival Awards and touted as The Most Award Winning Independent Film of 2007 – presents the unique story of Neil Mandt and Cinematographer Marc Carter, who set out on an around the world journey to film a story about two friends, characterized as Cliff and Charlie, traveling to the famous Full Moon Party in Thailand. Equipped with one camera, two wireless microphones, three batteries, and a rough story outline, the filmmakers traveled without a crew, a cast or having scouted one location. There were no casting calls along the way, just strangers picked up on the street to either act in a scene or play cameraman as Neil and Marc delivered improvised lines. The outcome has proven to be a smart, funny and poignant story about world travel.

The Secret Cinema will close opening night with Bon Voyage: Vintage Travel Films, a collection of rare original 16mm film illustrating the range of styles and approaches used by early travel filmmakers. The program includes both silent films and talkies, from vintage promotional travel films to educational films including An Egyptian Adventure (1928, dir. Louis de Rochemont), The Story of Our National Parks (U.S. Department of Interior, 1920s silent era), Fairest Eden from the William M. Pizor Port O’Call series (1931), and shorts by Burton Holmes and James A. FitzPatrick, among others. For more on The Secret Cinema series, hosted by Jay Schwartz, visit www.thesecretcinema.com.

The Road Trips and Amazing Journeys series highlights tales of travel, both physical and metaphysical, personal journeys of the heart and spirit, and more. The series will also screen Brazilian director Andrucha Waddington’s The House of Sand (2005), celebrated director Susanne Bier’s Academy Award-nominated film After the Wedding (2006), and director Julie Taymor’s hit Across the Universe (2007), among others. A complete schedule of series events including additional show times will be announced soon.

OPENING NIGHT SCHEDULE, Friday, February 15th
4:30 p.m. The Motorcycle Diaries
7:00 p.m. Last Stop for Paul followed by Q&A with director and star Neil Mandt
10:00 p.m. The Secret Cinema presents Bon Voyage: Vintage Travel Films

FILM SYNOPSIS – Last Stop for Paul
Cliff and Charlie work together selling bathroom supplies for a wholesaler in Los Angeles. Charlie is a seasoned traveler, he takes adventure trips whenever he can, while Cliff only talks about leaving his mundane surroundings. When Charlie asks Cliff to join him to the famous Full Moon Party in Thailand, Cliff surprises no one with his predictable excuse to stay on life’s bench. Things suddenly change when Cliff’s childhood friend dies unexpectedly. At the funeral, Cliff learns his buddy had planned a trip around the world. Cliff vows to make sure his friend still makes that trip, even if it means carrying his ashes in a thermos to do it. Together all three embark on a trip of a lifetime as they travel to the Caribbean, South America, Europe and Asia. Shot in over 20 countries, Cliff and Charlie have unbelievable adventures in every location and their lives are changed forever. View the trailer online at www.laststopforpaul.com.

ABOUT HIWAY THEATRE:
Built in 1913, the one-screen movie house can trace its history to the silent film era. Now an important cultural landmark for the Montgomery County and Greater Philadelphia region, the Hiway Theatre operates as a nonprofit member-supported community theatre, offering a unique cinematic experience that enlivens the human spirit, fosters dialogue and promotes learning in an unparalleled environment. The single-screen movie house evokes an earlier time with its retro interior finishes and original fixtures, while incorporating modern conveniences, complete with 320 new seats for the auditorium, updated projection equipment, Dolby surround sound, as well as an expansion of the lobby with a full service concession stand. In addition to screening first run films, the Hiway has been an annual venue for the Philly Film Fest and the CJHSA Holocaust Film Series and hosts a number of regular programs including the Children’s Matinee Series, Monthly Film Discussion, Classics Series, and Movies Under the Stars, a free, summertime, outdoor program in collaboration with the Abington Art Center, among others.

Press Contact:
Canary Promotion + Design
Emaleigh Doley, emaleighATcanarypromo.com

In February, Hiway Theatre, located at 212 Old York Road in Jenkintown, will celebrate the one-year anniversary of the historic theatre’s reopening with a new film series. Guided by the theme, Road Trips and Amazing Journeys, the upcoming series will run from February 15th through February 21st.

Built in 1913, the one-screen movie house can trace its history to the silent film era. Now an important cultural landmark for the Montgomery County and Greater Philadelphia region, the Hiway Theatre operates as a nonprofit member-supported community theatre, offering a unique cinematic experience that enlivens the human spirit, fosters dialogue and promotes learning in an unparalleled environment. For information on upcoming events and the history of the theatre, visit www.hiwaytheatre.org or call (215) 886-9800.

Road Trips and Amazing Journeys will include independent and studio films, as well as repertory selections, to be announced in the coming weeks. Highlighting documentary and fiction features, film narratives include tales of travel, both physical and metaphysical, personal journeys of the heart and spirit, and more. The series will also feature specialized programming for youth: specifically, selections for tweens and teens.

Hiway Theatre Executive Director Fred Kaplan-Mayer is thrilled to offer this special film series, which is being launched by virtue of a generous contribution from the Jenkintown Borough. “Since our reopening, the community response has been tremendous,” says Kaplan-Mayer. “This is our Valentine’s Day present to all our moviegoers and supporters – special films that tell tales of journey and transformation. It is due to community support that the Hiway has been able to transform itself and fulfill its potential as an entertainment destination and as a community organization.”

The series coordinator is Teri Yago Ryan. Ryan is the former Director of Michigan’s acclaimed East Lansing Children’s Film Festival, with a background that includes extensive industry experience in motion pictures and television.

Since 1913, Hiway Theatre has undergone many renovations and name changes. In 2003, a group of local residents who recognized the Hiway’s importance to the Jenkintown community formed a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization to purchase, operate and rehabilitate the theatre. After many years of neglect by previous owners, the new Board of Directors persevered in raising $2 million to fully renovate and update the theatre, adopting the name Hiway – one of the original names of the theatre, recalled affectionately by many Montgomery County and Philadelphia residents. The single-screen movie house evokes an earlier time with its retro interior finishes and original fixtures, while incorporating modern conveniences, complete with 320 new seats for the auditorium, updated projection equipment, Dolby surround sound, as well as an expansion of the lobby with a full service concession stand. The Board is currently at work on the second phase of the capital campaign, raising the remaining funds needed for the “finishing touches,” including the installation of a vertical, neon sign bearing the HIWAY name – a well known sight to residents of the area who came to the theatre during its initial time of operation from 1940 through the 1970s.

In addition to screening first run films, the Hiway has been an annual venue for the Philly Film Fest and the CJHSA Holocaust Film Series and hosts a number of regular programs including the Children’s Matinee Series, Monthly Film Discussion, Classics Series, and Movies Under the Stars, a free, summertime, outdoor program in collaboration with the Abington Art Center, among others.

Press Contact:
Canary Promotion + Design
Emaleigh Doley, (215) 242-6393
High-resolution images available upon request and online at: www.canarypromo.com/hiway

Music & Motion Dance Seeks Dancers for 2008 Season

"Music & Motion Dance is one of the few companies offering teens a chance
to have professional performance experience unlike any other. This is not
a dance school, there are no competitions, there are no fees, just a unique
opportunity to dance, create and be part of a very tight knit cast
that has come together out of friendship and a pure love of dance."

Music & Motion Dance, a 501 c 3 non-profit, pre-professional dance company is currently seeking 4 new dancers (male/female) for the 2008 season, which runs from November 2007 through December 2008. Auditions will be held on Sunday October 21st and 28th at 1:30 pm at the Conservatory of Music in Harleysville, PA . Dancers should be between the ages of 15 - 22 years and have at least 2 or more years of current dance training/experience in any of these styles - ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, modern, funk, or hip hop. Please see web site for details and to request an audition - http://www.music-and-motion.com/auditions.html or call 610-394-9182.

Bonnie Cook brings us today a poignant and seriously touching article about women that time and history have all but forgotten. Thanks to Bonnie, that all might change. Memorial Day is a time for remembrance....as we have taken the time in recent past to acknowledge the brave women who were battlefield nurses in such conflicts at Vietnam, let us also remember the women who were true mavericks and were battlefield nurses during the Cival War....Read the article....

Nurses who served the Union
Between 1862 and 1865, women volunteered to tend to wounded and dying men far from home.
By Bonnie L. Cook
Inquirer Staff Writer
Contact staff writer Bonnie L. Cook at 610-313-8232 or bcook@phillynews.com

No one sent them. They volunteered to go.
Leaving behind more quiet lives, a handful of Montgomery County women answered the call for civilians to nurse Union Army wounded during the U.S. Civil War.

Between 1862 and 1865, they trekked in plain dress, with hair pulled back, to battlefields in Pennsylvania, Maryland and the South. They had scant training or supplies, yet managed to care for the hurt and comfort the dying.

"The Brigade Surgeon has assured me more than once, that far more lives of the wounded soldiers have been spared thro' the tender nursing of our ladies than by the skill of all the surgeons," the husband of a nurse wrote in 1862.

Tomorrow, for what is believed to be the first time, one will be honored.

Michelle Harris, executive director of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, will lay flowers on the headstone of Elizabeth J. Brower, a civilian nurse who died in 1919 and lies buried among the buttercups in Montgomery Cemetery in Norristown.

During an 11 a.m. Memorial Day ceremony, Harris plans to "say a few words about [Brower's] service to the wounded men, and how her nursing of them typifies the sacrifice of many Montgomery County civilian nurses."

Plans are also afoot to obtain a headstone for Sarah Priest of Bridgeport, a civilian nurse who lies in an unmarked grave at Christ (Old Swedes) Church in Upper Merion. The grave was found using burial records.

Starting after the Battle of Antietam in 1862, Brower, of Norristown, spent two years caring for the wounded in Sharpsburg, Md. She was helped by Priest, who stayed 10 months.

The pair gave out the bandages, linens and food that had been collected and sent by the Norristown Ladies' Aid Society.

"They were reliable, valuable, effective women," Anna Morris Holstein, who was there, wrote in her 1867 book, Three years in field hospitals of the Army of the Potomac.

Both the original manuscript and Holstein's letters sent home are in the archives of the Historical Society on DeKalb Pike in Norristown. The public can view them, but because they are crumbling, they must be handled with cotton gloves....She vividly describes nursing and cooking "in primitive conditions" near the battlefield....Before going to war, Holstein wrote, she "instinctively shrank" from the thought of seeing soldiers in such conditions.

But when her husband, an Army major, returned home saying "that men were actually dying for want of food, home comforts and home care . . . I hesitated no longer," she wrote.

Brower, known to friends as "Miss Lizzie," came to assist Holstein with washing the men, feeding them, dressing their wounds, and writing letters home to their loved ones.

"Among the wounded at Antietam, Gettysburg and in Virginia, her kind ministrations will be long remembered," Holstein wrote.

It is not known why, but Brower didn't fare well after leaving the war in November 1864, according to federal pension records. "She has been of unsound mind ever since, and is now confined in an insane hospital in Harrisburg, Pa.," the pension records show.

Brower remained there for 31 years and died at age 89. It's not known why she was committed in Harrisburg, rather than Norristown State Hospital closer to home. It's thought that she kept a diary, but it's missing.

Newspapers disagree about Priest's death. One reports that she died at 63 in the Montgomery County almshouse of paralysis, apparently destitute. Another says she died at home in Norristown, and was honored at a funeral by many who "covered her casket with floral tributes." There's no way to know the truth, but the absence of a headstone is telling.

Holstein went on to conduct speaking tours and help returning prisoners of war. Later, she successfully lobbied for George Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge to be set aside as a national memorial.

Holstein died on the last day of 1900 at 75. Her headstone bears her signature.

(You haven't? Why not??)

So anyway, Sunday a bunch of us decided to beat the heat with a picnic and some tunes. So we traveled out to Upper Merion for a Concert Under The Stars .

The opening act was Jim Boggia who is always good. But we went for the main act, Danielia Cotton .

Wowee! We were blown away.....we have all heard her on WXPN – she was a 2005 artist to watch. Well kids, if you go to see anyone new at all, see this fab woman next time she is in the vicinity.

This woman has a VOICE – she evokes the sizzling soul of blues and rocks the house with covers of songs like AC/DC “Back in Black”. Her range is amazing. She goes from sultry sweet to smoky to Janis Joplin-esque.

I am no music critic; I only know what I like. And I not only like, I love the sound of Danielia Cotton (and her band was fun too – especially Clancy the drummer with that oh so punk Mohawk )

The last songs of the night last night were “Back in Black” (AC/DC could’ve used her – I never knew the song could be appealing!), “Summertime” (Gershwin originated- Janis Joplin immortalized), and “Red House” (Jimi Hendrix ). These were cover songs that sizzled off the stage. I doubt the sleepy neighborhood behind the park has ever had so much fun!

However, it was her music – songs like “shame” and “it’s only life” which are truly magical.

This is a woman to watch. Her voice can lull the listener into memories, and pummel you forth with sheer force and magnetism. Her voice is just beautiful...

And as an aside, I loved the pink guitar strap and her fashion sense- her outfit was great and she had these killer sandals on! C'mon...you know how I dig fab shoes AND fashion sense!

End Note? I dropped Danielia Cotton a line to see if she'd agree to a bloggerview with moi, so I'll let y'all know what she says!

By now, most everyone knows of the horrible fireworks accident in neighboring Upper Merion.

Who knows the rules on how close to people and homes fireworks can be detonated?

To be honest, the township who does their fireworks at the greatest distance from homes and people is Radnor. Radnor Township fireworks are very beautiful. Narberth aslo does fireworks, but they seem much closer to people and homes because the area IS densely populated.

Here is Bonnie Cook's Inquirer article:

Cause found in firework blast
Investigators said a "salute" fell and detonated in the Upper Merion crowd, injuring 15 people, 1 seriously, during a July 4 show.
By Bonnie L. Cook
Inquirer Staff Writer

The blast that injured 15 onlookers during Fourth of July fireworks in Upper Merion was caused by an "errant projectile" that fell during the township display into the crowd before exploding, authorities said yesterday.

Police and township officials said a fuse that should have caused a fireworks device called a "salute" to go off in midair during the show's finale did not trigger on time.

Instead, the apple-sized device, which appears as a loud white bang when it bursts in the air, detonated after falling to the ground.

Authorities credited the 11-year-old son of the township's cable-TV director for shooting the videotape that helped police piece together what caused the mishap.

The video made by Andrew Herbert, a sixth-grader at Wissahickon Middle School in Lower Gwynedd, showed a pattern of loud flashes followed by one delayed flash coming from the crowd, and onlookers exclaiming, "Oh my God."

The explosion seriously injured a 31-year-old man as he folded his picnic blanket. The man, whose identity was being withheld by police, was taken by helicopter to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he was in serious condition yesterday following hand surgery.

Four others required hospital treatment. Ten people were treated at the scene by medics for minor injuries. Police said the injuries included a punctured eardrum, burns, lacerations, and eye irritation. The ages of those treated ranged from 8 to 43.

Authorities did not know what caused the fireworks device to misfire. Officials at Lorusso Fireworks of Netcong, in Netcong, N.J., which staged the show, did not return phone calls yesterday.

"This was an unfortunate accident and something we did not want to occur," township manager Ronald G. Wagenmann said at an afternoon news conference.

He said the township would be evaluating the fireworks company's performance, and would decide later whether to hold the $11,000 fireworks show next year.

David Broida, the township's park and recreation director, said Lorusso had produced the fireworks display without incident since 1997.

"At about that time, we asked around to other municipalities. Lorusso worked for other municipalities in the area, and that's why we hired them," Broida said.

Two witnesses who attended with their families reported seeing fragments of a fireworks device fall to the ground.

.....Investigators from the Upper Merion Police Department, the Philadelphia Bomb Squad, the Montgomery County Bomb Squad and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked all night seeking the cause of the explosion, said Upper Merion Detective Sgt. Jeff McCabe.

SAC Note: this is why authorities always say leave fireworks to the professionals - and even when the professionals do it sometimes there are accidents

'New journey for Ardmore'
By: Cheryl Allison www.mainlinelife.com

Excerpt:
"Betty Foo can finally get that good night's sleep she's been missing.

Two "nightmare" years after Lower Merion sent a letter saying it was eyeing the Lancaster Avenue building that has housed her Hu-Nan Restaurant for 30 years, she told township commissioners last week that she can rest easy again.

In a resounding 11-0 vote, the board passed a resolution March 22 that essentially takes eminent domain for private enterprise off the table in Ardmore.

Going further, it effectively scraps the reviled redevelopment "Plan B," reopening options for downtown revitalization.

"This is the beginning of a new journey for Ardmore," declared Commissioner Philip Rosenzweig

....Commissioner Lewis Gould was out of the country and could not attend the meeting. Board President Matt Comisky and Co-Vice President Joseph Manko said they could not sign on to removing eminent domain as a tool for public purposes including economic development. But rather than voting no on the resolution, they abstained.

Although township officials have insisted that eminent domain was always a last resort, Plan B potentially targeted nearly a dozen properties, including Betty and E Ni Foo's restaurant and Suburban Office Equipment, a third generation business, in a block of the Ardmore Historic District.

The resolution puts Lower Merion's board on record that "the use of eminent domain for purely private enterprise, development and gain will not be a part of the Ardmore redevelopment effort." It leaves open the possibility of a minimal taking....As a precaution not to jeopardize $6 million in federal funds for a new Ardmore Transit Center, it does not rescind Plan B. But commissioners also have gone on record that, when a request for proposals is sent out to developers to participate in an Ardmore redevelopment project, they will be invited to look at the entire redevelopment area - from Church Road on the east to the Ardmore West shopping center - and not just the properties and areas identified in Plan B.

Although protecting the federal funds had been a concern for commissioners, U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, who helped get the money earmarked, praised the vote. "This is fantastic news for the business owners who were concerned about losing their properties and the residents who were worried that the proposed redevelopment plan would drastically alter the charm and character of Ardmore," he said in a statement.

....For the first time in a long while, said SAC Vice President Sharon Eckstein, "It seems to be everyone working together. It's a good omen for what we can do from this point forward, working for Ardmore."

For an emotional Betty Foo, the vote was an affirmation of her immigrant's dream.

"You have proved to a Chinese American that this is really a wonderful, democratic country," she told the board. "This is why we all came here.""

Full text: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16401822&BRD=1597&PAG=461&dept_id=188818&rfi=6

SAC Note: Betty, the tears of joy in your eyes, and the relieved look on Peggy's face made it ALL worth it. And folks, if we had to do it all over again, make no mistake, we WOULD.

Timely article with much food for thought, as this is something which is an inter-Commissioner hot button topic in 2006 in Lower Merion. What defines a conflict? Read about a neighboring Montgomery County Borough:

Ethics law chafes borough

By Jeff Shields Inquirer Staff Writer

Excerpt:

"For 20 years, J. Brian O'Neill has been redeveloping Conshohocken, filling the Schuylkill waterfront with apartments and offices. And for 20 years, Borough Councilman Vincent Totaro has been feeding him.

With a buy-local philosophy and a taste for Italian, O'Neill orders lunch from Totaro's Trattoria restaurant almost every day. But that economic philosophy and culinary preference may mean O'Neill will lose his most ardent supporter in local government.

State ethics law prohibits elected officials from voting on measures that benefit anyone they or their immediate family do business with - interpreted by the Ethics Commission as involving at least $300 a year.

Borough Solicitor Sean Kilkenny told council members last week that they needed to follow that rule. It means Totaro would have to abandon his key role in the borough's most crucial public-policy debate - the completion of O'Neill's $600 million Millennium waterfront development.

Totaro and O'Neill are not happy. To some people doing business in Conshohocken, complaints about the conflicts are like complaining about life in Conshohocken itself.....

"This is tantamount to communism," O'Neill said. "For 300 bucks - that means I can't eat dinner?"

Totaro is the council's point man for waterfront revitalization, negotiating with O'Neill over public river access for the Millennium housing and office project......O'Neill is one of the region's most prolific redevelopers of old industrial properties...While the law seems to be clear, it's hard to avoid conflicts in small towns governed by local business and trades people, said Shelley Houk, director of research at the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.

Totaro said that, at Kilkenny's suggestion, he would abstain from a forthcoming vote then consult the Ethics Commission himself.
A 12-year council veteran whose relationship with O'Neill goes back 20 years, Totaro said he would consider resigning his seat if forced out of every major decision.

"If I would have to sit on council and abstain from votes, there's no sense being there," said Totaro....The law requires officials to declare their conflict, orally and in writing, and abstain from participating in the entire decision-making process, said Vincent J. Dobko, the state Ethics Commission's top lawyer.

In Conshohocken, conflicted council members said three successive borough solicitors - including Kilkenny - had previously told them they could vote as long as they disclosed their conflicts."

full text: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/14147028.htm

Way to contact reporter: Jeff Shields at 610-313-8173 or jshields@phillynews.com

END NOTE: Mr. O'Neill is one of the developers who has contributed a lot to the rebirth of Conshohocken, a former mill/factory/steel town. We thought it fair to point that out.

"Friendly" Eminent Domain? Now there's a funny phrase. Sorry..but it is funny to see such two such contradictory things in the same sentance...don't blame us, read about it, but remember that this is a PUBLIC purpose taking as opposed to private gain :

Top Stories
LM Schools to use 'friendly' eminent domain
By: Cheryl Allison Main Line Life www.mainlinelife.com

Excerpt:

" "Friendly" and "eminent domain" aren't words that often turn up in the same sentence in Lower Merion these days.

But they are coming together to possibly solve one of the Lower Merion School District's most difficult dilemmas.

The school board Monday night passed resolutions to issue declarations of condemnation for three properties and to acquire a fourth parcel for school bus storage and to relocate its operations and transportation departments off the Lower Merion High School campus.

They will come at a price. District Business Manager Scott Shafer said costs to acquire the properties and provide any needed improvements will range between $12 million and $20 million.

.....Although eminent domain is being invoked, the process will not be an antagonistic one, of the kind some have feared might be an element in the township's Ardmore Redevelopment Plan. For starters, the taking will be for a public use, not for a broader public "purpose" of economic development.

These will be "friendly takings," "not necessarily contested" by the property owners, Schafer said. By exercising eminent domain, rather than simply purchasing the parcels, the school district will be required to pay costs of relocation borne by the owners.

The three properties that will be the subject of eminent domain proceedings are:
* 65 Rock Hill Road, an office building that will be used to house the Operations Department.

* 1151 Matson Ford Road (formerly Wilmington Piano), to be used as the bus repair garage.

* 1165 Matson Ford Road (Modern Equipment Rental). The building would be demolished to provide storage for 50 buses."

The school district will also acquire an office building parcel at 425 Belmont Ave. to house the buildings and grounds maintenance departments....The two Matson Ford Road properties, located in Lower Merion Township, are across the street from a residential neighborhood in West Conshohocken Borough. Raising issues of traffic impact, the borough has indicated it will fight the district's plan to put school buses there."

Full text: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16226386&BRD=1597&PAG=461&dept_id=188818&rfi=6

Saw this in the Inquirer, and I found it to be an example of bad blogging:

Comments on blog lead to firing of paramedic
By Keith Herbert Inquirer Staff Writer

Excerpt:

Plymouth Community Ambulance, already under investigation for questionable spending, is dealing with another problem - an employee whose Web log got her fired.

John Durante, acting president of the ambulance's board of directors, said yesterday that the employee was fired Jan. 13 for misuse of a computer and "inappropriate comments" about emergency victims on her blog.

description:

If you can get to the Philadelphia exurbs (specifically Montgomery County) this Saturday by 9:00 am,  Progressive Democrats of America, Democrats.com, AfterDowningStreet.org, Gold Star Families for Peace and others have put together a program examining the following question:

How has the Constitution been manipulated by recent administrations to provide
seemingly unlimited power to the president to wage war and suspend basic civil
rights?

Mark Crispin Miller, Professor of Political Science at NYU and author of
numerous books including The Bush Dyslexicon and Cruel
and Unusual, will speak through his film A Patriot Act, a chilling
indictment of the stealth movement within the Bush administration to subvert the
US Constitution and replace American democracy with their own peculiar set of
religious values.

Chuck Pennacchio , Professor of American History at Philadelphia's University of
the Arts and candidate for US Senate, will attend and has been asked to speak
about the national security apparatus and how its abuse has created the
potential for a police state that threatens our privacy and
liberty.

Joe Hoeffel, former US Congressman from Montgomery County and 2004 candidate
for US Senate will talk about recent news that the President of the United
States has ordered wiretaps and email intercepts of US citizens without proper
court oversight.

Date: Saturday, January 7, 2006Time:
9:00 AM

Location: United Food and Commercial Workers
#1776Address: 3031 Walton Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

Click here to RSVP.

Click here for map.

A $5
contribution to defray costs will be requested but no one will be turned
away.

Special 2 for 1 "Bring a Friend" coupons are available
here.

Oh boy, a proposed neighborhood improvement district sure has some Norristownites up in arms. However, dare we say it, Norristown IS an area in need of improvement. It's our county seat, and when compared to Media (Delaware County) and West Chester (Chester County), it umm, doesn't even rank in the same list.

Norristown is downtrodden, crime ridden, corruption laden. Pleasant accolades for the county seat of politics, law, and government. Yes there are some pockets of rejuvination, but it isn't enough. But because Norristown has had some more corruption issues of late (pick up any paper), maybe their proposed neighborhood investment district should have outside input and direction, to make sure it is managed properly. What they are talking about is like our quasi main street program in Ardmore, PA (http://www.ardmore-pa.org/ ).

The thing is this, comparing Ardmore to Norristown is like comparing apples to oranges. Can Norristown merchants, who struggle even more than ours AFFORD an assessment to support a business improvement district? It is sort of like medieval tithing....and don't they need to get some actual redevelopment in place and let this business improvement district grow out of that? Is this cart before the horse? Have they looked at http://www.padowntown.org/ , an organization which SHOULD also benefit Ardmore? Something our business district authority seems to participate in on the "Main Street" level(http://www.padowntown.org/programs/mainstreet/participants.asp)....in any event, Norristown needs SOMETHING. It actually IS blighted in places.

Alrighty, here are excerpts from the Philadelphia Inquirer article and a link to full text:

Special zone put up for a new vote

Norristown's council seeks a Neighborhood Improvement District downtown. Many of the merchants don't approve.

By Marc Schogol Inquirer Staff Writer

"Because of what Norristown officials and business leaders say was confusion and "irregularities," the results of a vote on whether to create a downtown Neighborhood Improvement District have been thrown out and a second vote scheduled.

Opponents maintain that civic and business officials pushing the plan are "manipulating the vote process."

The plan for what also is known as a Business Improvement District was proposed as a way to attract more shoppers and retailers to the economically challenged county seat. Using money from an additional assessment on business owners, it would deploy uniformed "ambassadors" to aid visitors, add street lighting and security cameras, and provide extra sidewalk cleaning.

But when the 45-day period to file yes or no votes to the plan expired Dec. 24, slightly more than 40 percent of the affected businesses had registered their opposition. Under Pennsylvania law, a 40 percent or higher negative vote by businesses within the proposed district - in this case, 509 - defeats the plan.

However, 73 responses were not properly filled out or signed, officials in the Montgomery County municipality said.

So they have decided to have a revote.

...Opponents say the proposed district is a waste of time and especially money....Norristown "will never come back to what it was."....council had "hushed up" results of the first vote so it could try again for the result it desires....In recent years, several municipal officials have faced corruption charges, leaving many residents skeptical about local government and how it handles tax revenues...."

Full text found here:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/13553050.htm

Parting shot: Norristown is a town that is a home to more lawyers than you need in any room, so why can't THEY help figure out Norristown? It really would be nice to have a county seat of a fairly prosperous county to have a little more style. Maybe Norristown folks should take detail oriented walking tours of both Media and West Chester because it wasn't too many years ago when those towns were a tad shabby. Now they are cute with great stores, restaurants, etcetera....come to think of it, take Lower Merion along for that ride as well...more than one town in Montgomery County could stand to learn from its neighbors.....

We're unfortunately running out of time before the election, but if folks can make it to Dresher/Ft. Washington on Monday night, we can quickly see whether locals can cover some of the polls in Montgomery County to make the public aware to vote NO on the retention of PA Supreme Court Justices Newman and Nigro.

We will be meeting at:

Knickers
1650 Limekiln Pike - map
Dresher, PA 19025
215.646.2856

The reservation is under the name of Rob.

Thanks!

Rob Lusch
Montgomery County Coordinator - Horsham