Thursday, May 16, 2013
Who’s Who Among American Junior Colleges welcomes several county residents to its famed list.
Sixty-two students from Montgomery County Community College’s Class of 2013 were named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. To qualify for Who’s Who, students must have graduated during the 2012-2013 academic year with a grade point average of at least 2.75 and must be nominated by a member of MCCC’s faculty or staff. The 2013 Who’s Who students are listed below by area of residence: Ambler: Amy Kolesnik Abington: Jessica Lowenstein Barto: Hilda Hynes Bechtelsville: Dana Rubright Ceders: Vincent Pupillo Cheltenham: Leland Cohen Collegeville: Devin Dietrich, James Fulop, Jessica Kelly Conshohocken: Christine Muszynski Eagleville: Patricia Piazza Erdenheim: John Harkins Gilbertsville: John McKillip Glenside: Brigitta …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
A social group of LGBT friends offers good times, support and fun.
It isn't the city. Montgomery County is surely a suburb. Somehow, that difference in geography can make it harder for those in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered community, often known as "LGBT," to find support. Within Philadelphia, there are a multitude of support groups, meeting spaces and well-known centers of community, of friendships, of social organizations for the LGBT persons. But, what really is there in Montgomery County? Search no further. Meetup.com has the answer for you. With 109 members in a "peace-loving" social network, MontCo LGBT and Friends offers just that. "This group is being formed to bring together in a friendly, understanding and nurturing environment," explained the group's page on Meetup.com. "To my …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
After Montgomery County denied an additional $11 million loan for what it considers a nonviable development project, the lender filed for foreclosure on Logan Square in Norristown.
The senior lender behind the Logan Square development project, located at Markley Street and West Johnson Highway in Norristown, filed for foreclosure on the property on May 3, putting in jeopardy a $24.5 million investment the county made to the development between 2009 and 2011. The project began in 2007 when Charles Gallub, principal at Develcom in Bellmawr, NJ, began working with government officials and a private investment group, Axis Advisors, LP, to develop the 24.5 acre site, including the abandoned Sears and Ports of the World, totaling 150,000 square feet in retail space. A plan to bring Raleigh Studios to the property fell through after failed negotiations over tax credits with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the plan …
Norristown Farm Park supported by local families with dogs.
They should have a say, too. And for once, a local fundraiser and event will feature the four-legged members of our families. The second annual Bark! Bark! Bark for Our Park! is a "family event celebrating People, Parks, and Puppies," according to the organizers' website. Scheduled to be held on Sunday May 19, from noon to 4 p.m., guests and their four-legged friends are invited to visit the Norristown Farm Park pavilions. Guests should enter from Germantown Pike at North Wales Road/Barley Sheaf Drive to come into the park. Those in attendance will meet "Johnny Angel, canine conservation hero," according to the site. "Bark! Bark! Bark for My Park!" will "tell Johnny Angel’s true story about saving Norristown Farm Park." "Dramatically …
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Norristown Farm Park
N Wales Rd & W Germantown Pike, Norristown, PA
/articles/bark-for-the-park-invites-four-legged-friends
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The cost of colonoscopies, MRIs, CT scans and mammograms cost significantly more in Montco than the city.
It costs $740 more to get a colonoscopy in Montgomery County than Philadelphia. That's according to data from New Choice Health, a private company that encourages people to become smarter healthcare consumers. In fact, the cost for a colonoscopy in Montgomery County is also higher than the state-wide average by $80. But the costs for other procedures measured in the data such as a CT scan, MRI and mammogram are below the state average. These big regional differences have been in the news lately: As the Washington Post wrote on Wednesday, "One hospital charges $8,000 - another $38,000." Using the same data as the Post, The New York Times listed out the prices of a series of procedures in hospitals across the country. The Times and the Post…
Monday, May 13, 2013
A drug ring that included Montgomery County has recently been on trial in a major wire-tapping case.
He took the stand as a witness for the prosecution, but it was the defense that really got him to talk. An unnamed ringleader of a major drug ring that reached parts of Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Philadelphia counties was the topic of discussion in Judge Gary S. Silow’s courtroom Friday, as more than 24 men and women face charges in the ring, which was caught via wire-tapping by local authorities, reports the Times Herald. The witness admitted on the stand, when questioned by the defense, that he did not know at least one of the men named as part of a drug trafficking organization. He told the defense attorney "No, I don’t know him at all," when the man was brought before him. Other testimony provided information overheard on wire-tap…
State changes borders of districts, angering many Montco Dems.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has made its decision. But area Democrats aren't too happy about it. In fact, they plan to fight it. According to Newsworks, the decision has carved Montgomery County up into six state senate districts, which Montgomery County Democrats say is a republican shot at "gerrymandering the map for political gain." Attorney Adam Bonin has been selected to represent the county's Dems. Bonin said it was part of a partisan plan for the Philadelphia suburbs. "If you look at the four counties that surround Philadelphia, if you look at those voters as a whole, they are 50-50 Republican and Democrat," Bonin said to Newsworks. "The way that this map is drawn, it's drawn to produce seven Republican and two Democratic …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
A new report says Greater Philadelphia has polluted air.
The very air we breath is some of the worst in Pennslyvania, at least according to one source. The American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2013" report lists Philadelphia and its surrounding counties have some of the worst breathing air in the state. Montgomery County, along with surrounding Chester, Delaware and Philadelphia counties, all received "F" grades from the report. As defined on the study's website, an "F" grade means than an area's air has more than nine days out of the year in which air pollution and ozone levels are above the suggested safety amount. Additonally, "F" graded areas mean that there were 10 "orange" days in a given year. In Montgomery County, the air averaged 17 orange days. An "orange" air quality day, …
County urges residents to think more about the water they use each day.
Most Montgomery County residents turn on the faucet. Water comes out. They take it for granted and fill up a cup. You can drink it right down, and not worry about what you are ingesting. For you to enjoy that luxury, many others work behind the scenes to keep it so simple for residents. National Drinking Water Week is May 5 to May 11. The month is designed to "raise public awareness and understanding of drinking water in both public and private supplies, thus bringing attention to this precious resource," according to a recent release from Montgomery County's Office of Communications. The office's Jessica Willingham said that the county wants to focus on the cleanliness of water so you don't have to. "Everyone is familiar with the basic …
This week's stories include a woman who allegedly listed various drugs on her grocery list, a 'sexting' teacher pleads guilty and accused cemetery thieves strike in Montgomery County.
Potato Salad, Cocaine and Pepsi on Woman's Shopping List: According to a report in the Perkiomen Valley Patch, police discovered a strange grocery list in the vehicle of a 21-year-old woman who had just rear-ended another vehicle. The grocery list included items such as cocaine, potato salad, chicken breast and pepsi, along with a reminder to get high. Read the full story here. Trio of Thieves Strike Montco Cemeteries: According to a report in the Lower Moreland Patch, three people have been arrested in connection with a string of robberies that occurred at local cemeteries. The report states that the robbers preyed on the grieving, stealing purses and personal items from vehicles as visitors mourned their loss. Read the full story here. "…
SMDH
9:32 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
Love the internet for how easy it is to "rain on parades". I commend these students for their hard work! The article makes it clear that the students are nominated by their professors. This is NOT an "honor roll" where you only have to score a certain GPA. This is a recognition that includes getting a professor to take the time to fill out paperwork and go the extra mile, because they think the … more ›