New 'Navicates' Will Help Montco Residents

Residents who require social services will have a single point of contact with the county government.

Montgomery County residents who have typically had to travel to Norristown to obtain social services from county government will soon be able to accomplish many of those tasks closer to home. The county is preparing to field a corps of so-called "Navicates" ― the word is a portmanteau of "navigator" and "advocate" ― who will be stationed at office locations around the county. "We're taking the advocates and the navigators [of the county's social services] out of Norristown and into the communities where people live," County Commissioners' Chairman Josh Shapiro said Thursday. Shapiro said the "Navicates" will "revolutionize the way social services are delivered in Montgomery County." Navicates will be charged with assessing the needs of …

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Decarcerate PA Protest Hits Snag at Graterford; Carries On Anyway

Despite being prevented by police from protesting in front of the prison, the movement voiced their concerns regarding Governor Corbett’s priorities.

Decarcerate Pennsylvania protested the Graterford Prison expansion on Tuesday, though it was semi-thwarted when members of the Pennsylvania State Police prevented them from walking onto the Graterford complex. The group had initially planned to meet at Perkiomen Valley High School and walk to the prison entrance, but state police prevented them from making the trek citing safety concerns. “We prevented them from obstructing the highway – we did it for their safety,” said a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper. “People are going to start looking at them, and not pay attention to the way they are driving, so it is an issue of safety.” Despite the concerns from police, Decarcerate Pennsylvania member Hakim Ali believes that the police were not …

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Protest of Graterford Prison Expansion Scheduled for Tuesday

The protest seeks to raise awareness of the $400 million Graterford Prison expansion at a time when the state is cutting budgets elsewhere.

Members of the Decarcerate Pennsylvania movement will once again take aim at Governor Corbett on Tuesday afternoon, as a planned protest seeks to raise awareness to the $400 million Graterford Prison expansion at a time when state funding for education and health services is on the decline. "Governor Corbett just began construction of two new prisons on the grounds of SCI Graterford in Montgomery County," reads a recent posting on the DecarceratePA Web site. "Meanwhile, Corbett has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars from education, environmental protection, homeowners assistance, and healthcare and mental health services." As previously reported by Patch, the construction project at Graterford will establish two new prison facilities …

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Sergei MacCarron

9:00 pm on Friday, July 20, 2012

However, most people in our prisons, including Graterford, aren't there for child molestation, or rape, or murder, so your point is both a strawman argument, and totally irrelevant to the discussion. When people say we have to reanalyze our criminal justice system and recognize tough on crime doesn't work, they're not saying "let rapists get off scot free", they're saying lets analyze what we're …   more ›

Area Agencies Calling for More Taxes on Gas Drilling

Several Norristown-based agencies have joined the Better Choices for Pennsylvania coalition in calling for an increase in funding for public services.

According to a story on PhillyBurbs.com, representatives of several area social service agencies joined Norristown Area School District Superintendent Dr. Janet Samuels and state Sen. Daylin Leach in calling for an increase in natural gas drilling fees to help fund struggling public services whose budgets have been cut. The group spoke Thursday morning on the steps of the Montgomery County Courthouse at a press conference sponsored by Better Choices for Pennsylvania, a coalition different organizations looking to restore state funding for public services like education, social services and transportation. According to PhillyBurbs.com, Beth Sturman, executive director of Laurel House told those in attendance her organization needed help in …

Council to Discuss Marshall St. Parking and New 'Health-Care District' Tonight

Residents, business owners and social service providers are expected to turn out for tonight's Municipal Council meeting to make their voices heard.

Norristown Municipal Council meets tonight at 7:30pm at Norristown Municipal Hall and while there are many items on the agenda, there are two that have some residents, business owners and members of the social service industry concerned – parking meters on Marshall Street and the rezoning of the "Health-Care District." Council approved adding parking meters to the business district on West Marshall Street earlier this year, but some business owners objected to the plan and collected signatures on a petition to try and get the approval recinded. The issue is listed on tonight's meeting agenda as a topic of discussion and those opposing the plan are expected to attend to speak out on the issue. The new "Health-Care District" is also expected…

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Council Plans Hearing to Redefine 'Health Care Zone'

The new regulations will be aimed at better controlling the use of the area around Montgomery Hospital once the facility is abandoned for the new Einstein Medical Center in East Norriton.