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Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

April 23
Annual Professional Support Day w/Hawaiian Luau, 12noon at Pearl S Buck Intl, 520 Dublin Rd, Perkasie. Call 215-257-5390 for details. pennridgecc@pennridge.com Container Gardening Workshop 7pm-9pm by Penn State Ext. Bucks County. Cost $5, preregistration required at 215-345-3283

Whats Going On in Upper Bucks?

March 29
Springfield Twp Historical Soc. Open House 9:30am-12noon. Come see our One Room School & family file records, etc. 2165 Rt 212, Pleasant Valley (Coopersburg), 610-838-8660

April 5 to 20
Easter Craft/Gift Bazaar 1pm-4pm on Tues, Thurs, Sat & Sun at AID Shelter in Coopersburg. Info: 610-966-9383 or animalsindistress-pa.org (tentative dates, call to confirm)

Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month

April 6
Valley Choral Society Ensemble Concert 3:30pm at St. Johns Lutheran, 1565 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Spinnerstown. Free, donations welcome, refreshments follow. Valchor.com Firehouse Breakfast 8am-1pm at Springtown Fire Co, 3010 Rt 212, Springtown. $7/adults, $4/age 6-10, free/age 5 & under Open House to celebrate Grand Opening of new memory care bldg. (the Laurels) on Hidden Meadows campus, 1pm-4pm. (prizes, food, tours) 215-257-6701 x12 Vera Bradley/Longaberger Basket Bingo at Lehigh Valley Active Life, 1633 Elm St, Allentown. Opens 5pm, only 125 tkts avail. Tkts: 610-762-8553 (call to confirm date) Benefits animalsindistress-pa.org UB Sertoma Basket & Bag Bingo, limited seating, opens Noon at UBYMCA, 401 Fairview Ave, Quakertown. $20 ($25/door), info/tkts: 215-822-9781 or ubsertoma@gmail.com Longaberger Basket Bingo 12noon at Tylersport Fire Co, 125 Ridge Rd, Tylersport. $20 ($25 at door), 215-343-6087 Cash Bingo at Souderton Fire Co, opens 12noon. $15/20 games, raffles, refreshments available. 266 N 2nd St. Call Mary: 215-721-3167 Community Hymn Sing 6pm at Saucon Mennonite Church, 6639 N Main St, Coopersburg. Light refreshments, all are welcome. Breakfast 8am-12noon at American Legion Post 255 Aux., 75 N Main St, Sellersville. $4.50/ donation, sellersvillelegion.com or 215-257-9801

April 2
Early Childhood Behavior 7pm-8pm, free seminar at Penn Foundation, Loux Healthcare Ctr, 807 Lawn Ave, Sellersville, register at 267-404-5069 or ckapusta@pennfoundation.org

April 3
The State of the Indian Valley held by Indian Valley C of C at the Country Club, 650 Bergey Rd, Telford. Registration deadline is March 31, info at 215-723-9472 $50 Jackpot Bingo 12:15pm at Upper Bucks Activity Ctr, Milford Twp Fire Hall, 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown, 215-536-3066 Antiques Appraisal Night at Old Spinnerstown Schoolhouse, 1580 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Spinnerstown. Sign-in 6-7pm, appraisals ($5/item), free refreshments, info at 215-679-6175

Community Easter Egg Hunt 1pm-3pm (r/s) at Zion Lutheran, 2966 Old Bethlehem Pike, Zion Hill in Fellowship Hall (blue bldg.), all ages welcome Community Easter Egg Hunt 9am-12noon (r/s) at First Church of the Brethren, 455 Trumbauersville Rd, Quakertown. Prizes, bake sale, come with your basket Adopt-A-Highway Spring Clean Up 8am10am. Wear long sleeves & sturdy shoes, meet at parking lot of CDP, 313 & Thatcher Rd. To sign up, contact stephanie.weachter@ubymca.org Homemade Easter Candy Sale 9am2pm, Christs Lutheran, One Luther Lane, Trumbauersville, pre-order by April 6. Also QNB Country Sq (4/12-4/19), QT Walmart, Capt Bobs Seafood, 215-536-3193 Starting & Running A Small Business free seminar, 8:30am-Noon, First Savings Bank, 219 S Ninth St, Perkasie. Call 215-943-8850 for info/ registration. Pennridge Yellowjackets Summer Soccer Sign-up at Re/Max, Market & 7th Sts, Perkasie from 9:30am-12noon. $60 (early bird fee), starts June 9, pennridgesoccer.com

April 24
Chicken Pot Pie Dinner, 4:30pm-7pm at Lower Milford Twp Fire Co, 1601 Limeport Pike. $8.50/adults, $5/kids 6-12

April 25
Family Bingo Night, doors open 6pm, $10/ adults, $5/ages 5-12, under 5 free. Food available. St. Andrews Lutheran, 20 Dill Ave, Perkasie. Info/tkts: pennridgefishfundraising@ aol.com Greek Easter Luncheon 11:30am at Encore Experiences, 312 Alumni Ave, Harleysville. Reserve a table for four or more. Cost $7, register by April 16. Info: 215-256-6900, encoreexperiences.org

April 26
Radio Days Live on Air by North Pennsmen Chorus, 2pm & 7:30pm, Indian Crest Middle Sch., 139 Harleysville Pike, Souderton. Tkt prices vary, free under 12, call 215-393-1940 or northpennsmen.org Mothers Market 9am-1pm at Trumbauersville Fire Co, 142 North Main St, Tville. FREE yard sale style, reserve space/info at kellydhinkle@ yahoo.com, 215-527-7011, bucks58fire.com Flea Market/Craft Show, 9am-2pm (breakfast/ lunch avail.) at Dublin Fire Co, Rt 313. $15/ space, bring own tables. No set ups before 5am. Reservations required at 215-249-3089 Healthy Kids Day at UBYMCA 10am-12noon. FREE! Sample a class, visit a vendor table, swim, other fun activities. 401 Fairview Ave, Qtwn. Refreshments for sale. 215-536-YMCA Annual Bake Sale/Flea Market 9am-2pm (Boy Scout Fundraiser) at St. Michaels Lutheran, 25 E Church St, Sellersville. jfaux@comcast.net for donations

April 12 & 13
Pet Photos w/Easter Bunny 1pm-3pm at AID Shelter in Coopersburg, (tentative dates, call to confirm) 610-966-9383, animalsindistress-pa.org

April 4
Easter Bunny arrives 10am for story time at Barnes & Noble, then on to the Gazebo for meet & greet, treats, & photos. Details at ThePromenadeShopsatSauconValley.com Annual Banquet/Auction New Beginnings held at Indian Valley Country Club, 650 Bergey Rd, Telford. Tkts/info at 215-723-5430 or keystoneopportunity.org

April 13
Easter Breakfast & Easter Bunny & Egg Hunt begins 8am. $8/adult, $4/kids over 2. Flower vouchers avail. Lower Milford Fire Co, 1601 Limeport Pike, Info: 610-349-1276 or lmfcbanquethall@gmail.com Buffet Breakfast 8am-1pm at Silverdale Fire Co, 111 West Main St, Silverdale. $7/adults, $4/kids 6-12, under 6 free Mother & Daughter Bash at UBYMCA (regis. by Apr 4 or until sold out) For girls 4-10 years, 1pm-3pm, contact YMCA at 215-536-9622 for ticket info

April 5
Reading Goes To The Dogs, 2pm-3:30pm at Quakertown Library, 401 W Main St, Qtwn. Children are invited to come and read to certified therapy dogs, 215-536-3306 3rd Annual Quakertown Easter Egg Hunt, activities begin 9am (crafts, Easter Bunny, prizes, etc.) at 9th St Soccer Fields. (r/d April 6, activities begin 1pm), Ashley 215-536-5001 Easter Egg Hunt 9am (rain/shine) for ages 12 & under. Free, bring a basket to Blooming Glen Mennonite, 713 Blooming Glen Rd (GPS Perkasie), 215-257-3431 or bgmc.net Prime Rib Dinner 4pm-7pm (advance tkts only), Trumbauersville Fire Co, 142 North Main St, Tville. (also baked potato, salad bar, beverage, dessert), Tkts/info: 215-536-1998 or bucks58fire.com Turkey Dinner-Family Style, 3pm-7pm at St. Johns Lutheran, 3104 Main St, Sumneytown. $10.50/adults, $3.50/ages 4-10, $11/takeout. 215-234-4888 Scrap Metal Recycling 9am-1pm in St. Paul Lutherans parking lot, South Main St & Lincoln Ave, Telford. What can be dropped off? Email greenteam107@comcast.net Coach Purse Bingo (open 11:30am) at Richland Twp Fire & Rescue, 64 Shelly Rd, Quakertown. $30/adv, $35/at door. Info: 215-778-1641, rtfcoachbingo@gmail.com All-U-Can-Eat Spring Breakfast w/live entertainment 7:30am-11am, Easter Bunny photos, hosted by Quakertown Cares, $6/adults, $4/students. Quakertown HS cafeteria, Park Ave, Qtwn Spring Flea Market 9am-1pm at Pennridge Community Ctr, Rtes 113 & 152, Silverdale. Questions? 215-453-7027 or email: manager.pcsc@verizon.net Kids Fishing Derby 8am until Afternoon for Pennridge CC members w/students K-5th grade, Pond on west side of Branch St. behind Sellersville Firehouse. Regis. details at 215-257-5390 Greaser Dance 7pm-Midnight at Benner Hall, 1260 Cherry Rd, Richlandtown. $22.50 donation, prize drawing. DJ, Hot/cold buffet, BYOB, must be 21. Call Jon for tkts: 215-258-5719

April 9
Easter Party w/Tammy G, Easter Bonnet Parade/Contest, buffet 11:30am, $12/person. Sign up by April 4, UB Activ. Ctr Milford Twp Fire Hall, 2183 Milford Square Pike, Qtwn. 215-536-3066 Hoagie Sale ($4) at Zion Lutheran, 2966 Old Bethlehem Pike, Zion Hill. (blue bldg.), pick up 12noon-5pm), pre-order at 484-695-5504 or walk-ins welcome.

April 13, 17, & 20

West Swamp Holy Week Services (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, & Easter), 2501 Allentown Rd, Quakertown, details at 215-5367468 or westswamp1@verizon.net

April 27
All-U-Can-Eat Breakfast 8am-12noon at Haycock Fire Co, 850 Old Bethlehem Rd, Quakertown, $7/adults, $4/ages 4-7, free under 4, info at 215-536-2224 or haycockfire.org 7th Annual Clash of Church Choirs, 3pm at St. Andrews Lutheran, 20 Dill Ave, Perkasie. Five local Upper Bucks Churches raise money for Relay for Life of Quakertown, admission is free, 267-347-4633 Theme-Basket Bingo 1pm at Eastern Upper Bucks Senior Ctr, 8040 Easton Rd, Ottville. 20 Baskets (not Longaberger), raffle, 50/50, food, prizes, etc. $20/tkt, info at 610-847-8178 Basket Bingo/Chinese Auction, games begin 1pm at Faith UCC, Route 378, Center Valley, info: 610-282-1552 or 610-282-3939

April 14
Bingo at Milford Twp Fire Hall, doors open 5:30pm, bingo at 7pm, kitchen is open. 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown, 215-536-3066 Annual Game Dinner 7pm at Dublin Fire Co, Route 313, Dublin. Order $30 tkts at 215-2572245, benefits Lions Club

April 10
Pork & Sauerkraut Dinner 4:30pm-7pm (or sold out) at Lower Milford Twp Fire Co, 1601 Limeport Pike. $9/adults, $5/ages 6-12, $9.50/ take-outs Julia Child 7pm, presented by So. Lehigh Public Library, 3200 Preston Lane, Center Valley. Also cookbook/kitchenware sale going on. Info/register at 610-282-8834 or solehipl.org

April 16 to 19
Easter Flower Sale (W-F 9am-9pm) (Sat 8am4pm) at Trumbauersville Fire Co, 142 North Main St, Tville. Bulbs, bedding plants, baskets, etc. Info &/or pre-order at 215-536-1998 or bucks58fire.com

April 10, 11 & 12

Rummage/Soup/Cookie Sale (Thur 9am6pmj) (Fri 9am-5pm) (Sat 9am-1pm, also $3 bag day), St. Peters Lutheran, 305 Delaware Rd, Riegelsville, 610-749-0830

April 18
Friday Night Dance w/King Henry, 7pm-10pm at Milford Twp Fire Hall, 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown. $10 payable at door, snacks & punch included, 215-536-3066

May 2
Coach Purse/Michael Kors Purse Bingo, doors open 6pm. $30/adv. or $35/at door. Food/drinks available (or BYOB). Table/tkts reservations: 267-733-2347 or vjvkmcfadden@msn.com (only 300 available) Basket Bingo, opens 6pm, all filled baskets, benefits Epilepsy Fdn. Perkasie Firehouse, 5th & Arch Sts, Perkasie, 215-257-0387

April 10, 17, & 24

Thursday Bingo 12:15pm at Upper Bucks Activity Ctr Milford Twp Fire Hall, 2183 Milford Square Pike, Quakertown, 215-536-3066

April 19
Richlandtown Fire Co Easter Egg Hunt 10am at Benner Hall, 1260 E Cherry Rd, Quakertown. Easter Bunny, every child receives a gift, Boy Scout Troop 87 will sell Easter flowers, rain or shine Flapjack Breakfast Fundraiser at Quakertown Applebees 8am-10am. Tickets required. Available at 104 Main St, Souderton, at door on Sat, or keystoneopportunity.org. $7/adults, $4.50/kids 12 & under Childrens Easter Celebration 10am at Jerusalem Lutheran, 733 Ridge Rd, Sellersville. Crafts, games, storytime, egg scramble. Preschool to 6th grade. Free, all welcome, 215-257-9423

April 11
Harrisburg Trip w/Sen. Mensch & Indian Valley C of C. Bus leaves 7:30am, registration deadline is April 1. Info: 215-723-9472 6th Annual Sporting Clays Invitational for UB Lions Kidney Fdn. 8:30am to ?? at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay, PA. Prizes, raffles, food, etc. Fees/details at 215-536-3089

May 3
Bucks Wild 2014 (musical festival/marketplace) 10am-4pm at UB Campus of BCCC in Perkasie. Info at katearmstrong25@gmail.com or 215-258-7700 Spring 2014 Craft Fair 10am-3pm at Pennridge Commun. Ctr, Rtes 113 & 152, Silverdale. 215453-7564 or snugglebaby@comcast.net Indoor Spring Craft/Flea Market 9am-2pm at Tylersport Fire Co, 125 Ridge Rd, Tylersport. Info/reserve at 215-257-5900 ext 7 Beef N Beer, 6pm-10pm at Hilltown German Club, 1622 Hilltown Pike, Hilltown. Live music, $25/person, call 215-605-6561 or 267-772-0423 for tickets

April 11 & 12
Spring Rummage Sale at Quakertown United Methodist, 1875 Freier Rd, Qtwn. (Fri 9am-4pm) (Sat 9am-12noon), Sat. is $2 Bag Day! Info: 215-896-7055

April 20 EASTeR SUNDAY April 22 EARTH DAY!

Fundraiser all day at Washington House, 136 N Main St, Sellersville. Flyers needed for 15% of bill donated, available at Keystone office, 104 Main St, Souderton or keystoneopportunity.org

April 5 & 6
Welcome Spring Spiritual Faire (Sat 10am6pm) (Sun 10am-5pm) at Milford Twp Fire Co, 2185 Milford Square Pike, Milford Square. $4 admission. Details/info: quakertowncsl.org

April 12
Breakfast w/Easter Bunny (8, 9, & 10am register at 215-453-4084), $5.50/adults, $3.50/for age 3 & up. Egg hunt, photos, activities at Grand View Hosp. Cafeteria in Sellersville.

May 10
Jerry Blavat at Tylersport Fire Co. $25/tkt (limited number), call Carol for tkts: 215-2587521 or 267-374-1705

Lansdale Kiwanis Fruit Sale (oranges, blueberries, peaches, cashews, vidalias, nut/berry mix, honey roasted mixed nuts) Orders due 4/24, Delivery 5/2 (6:30pm-8:30pm), call Ginny 215-272-8560 Free English as Second Language Class on Wednesdays, 5pm-7pm. Classes run through May 14. Quakertown Elementary, 123 South 7th St, Qtwn. Child care! deblodgett@verizon.net or awert@qcsd.org Hoagie Sales for April, May, & June for Trumbauersville Fire Co. 2nd Mon. of the month. Orders due Wed. before. Info: 215536-1998 or bucks58fire.com

Ongoing Opportunities

April 2014 Upper Bucks Free Press

Where Can I Get my Free Press?

SELLERSVILLE A & N Diner Grandview Hospital Hidden Meadows Roy Ann Diner Village Market PERKASIE Rep. Paul Clymers Office Dam Good Cafe Emils Diner Giant Food Markets Landis Food Markets Mirage Hair Salon Olde Towne Convenience Pennridge Chamber Pierce Library QNB Bank Revivals Restaurant TELFORD Indian Valley Library Landis Supermarket Lisas Pizza SOUDERTON Bottom Dollar Care & Share Shoppes Mr. Bs at Calvary Church COOPERSBURG Coopersburg Diner Giant Food Markets The Inside Scoop QNB Bank Turkey Hill Market Weis Markets SPRINGTOWN Reflections Hair Studio Village Center Automotive
Have a suggestion for a place youd like to see the Free Press? E-mail terri@ubfp.org.

QUAKERTOWN Aamco American Heritage FCU A-Plus Mini Market Borough Hall Bottom Dollar Foods Beer City Bricks Sales Classic Staffing Chick Fil-A Dominicks Pizza Downtown Dogs Earl Bowl Lanes Embers Cafe First Niagara Bank First Savings Bank Flashpoint Acupuncture Franks Pizza The Free Press Bldg. Giant (Qtwn Plaza) The Grundy House Hampton Inn Holiday Inn Independence Court James Michener Library Johns Plain & Fancy Liberty Thrift Store McCooles Restaurant McDonalds Melody Lakes Moyers Shoes

Old Bethlehem Rd Hotel Pep Boys Philly Soft Pretzel Factory Quaker Cleaners Qtown Family Restaurant QNB Bank Quaker Cleaners Redners Market Roma Pizza Sals Pizza Randa Seven-Eleven Sines 5 & 10 St. Lukes Hospital Swanns Pantry Toms Help Desk Upper Bucks Sr. Ctr Upper Bucks SPCA Upper Bucks YMCA Upper Bucks Chamber Wells Fargo Bank Yum Yum Donuts TRUMBAUERSVILLE Borough Hall Finos La Cantina Spors General Store SPINNERSTOWN Spinnerstown Hotel E Js Barber Shop PLEASANT VALLEY Country Kitchen

West Swamp Church Holy Week Services

West Swamp Mennonite Church continues with their Lenten theme, Encountering God: What have a Witnessed?, into Holy Week and invites you to join us for three special services. Palm Sunday, April 13, will start with a palm processional and include the sermon, From Branches to Betrayal, by Pastor Kathy D. Yoder; Maundy Thursday, April 17, will be marked by a simple meal at 6:30 p.m., followed by a brief service and communion From Betrayal to Burial. We will celebrate Easter Sunday, April 20, with great music and the sermon, From Empty to Full and everyone will be invited to join in on singing the Hallelujah Chorus as a finale to the mornings worship. The church is located at 2501 Allentown Road, Quakertown, about 1.5 miles north of Route 663, and is handicapped accessible. For more information, call the church office 215 536 7468, email westswamp1@verizon. net, or www.westswamp.org.

Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.

Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

Hearing Aid Styles

REGISTER NOW FOR SUMMER CAMP 2014
3 Locations: Quakertown 2460 John Fries Highway 267-424-2024 East Greenville Allentown 399 Washington Street 1651 Cedar Crest Blvd. 215-679-5940 610-435-7833
After the second worst Winter season on record for our area with almost six feet of snow, ice storms, and power outages, it appears that Spring has finally arrived. In appreciation to the eyewear industry, glasses evolved over the past forty-five years into a personal fashion statement. The varieties of frames, colors, and lenses provide the wearer an opportunity to express themselves and their persona to all they meet. There was a time not long ago when people with a hearing loss did not want to acquire hearing aids because they were afraid someone would see the devices. Today, hearing aids come in a variety of styles and colors to meet the personal discrimination tastes of the user. Most people do not notice hearing aids worn by another person. What calls attention to itself is not the device, but rather the receptive communication difficulty displayed by the hearing impaired individual. When I graduated in 1987 from the University of Virginia with a Masters degree in Audiology, styles of hearing aids were limited. Among those styles were body aid, eyeglass aid, behind-the-ear, full shell in-theear, and the latest development in-the-canal. All devices were analog or conventional. Since that time, other styles were made available to the public including completelyin-the-canal, micro-canal, and half shell. A new operational design was the programmable and has been obsolete for a number of years. Some companies have explored, introduced, and expanded a host of colors too numerous to list. However, any color imaginable is for the asking. Todays current line up of the most popularly used styles are: behind-the-ear (BTE), open ear (OE-BTE), receiver-in-the canal (RITC-BTE), full shell in-the-ear (ITE), half shell in-the-ear (HS), in-the-canal (ITC), and completely-in-the-canal (CIC). These styles are listed from the largest to the smallest. The smaller in size you select will have an increase in price. Each style enables the wearer to utilize a volume control, remote control, program button or switch, and a choice of many listening programs depending upon the desire of the patient. Most people have seen the BTE. This aid is the size of your smallest finger and rests behind your ear with an earmold in your ear to receive and hear sound. The BTE is the most powerful. The other two BTEs listed are special fittings for specific hearing loss and are not considered power instruments. The ITE is the most powerful of the custom made one-piece devices. This aid fills the entire outer ear bowl with a section traveling into the canal. The HS is half the size faceplate. Hence, the name half shell. These hearing aids are capable of giving a moderate amount of gain. The ITC fills the bottom one-third of the bowl of the outer ear. The faceplate is approximately the size of your index finger nail. This style is good for mild to moderate hearing loss. The smallest of all hearing aids is the CIC. This aid is about the size of a BIC pen cap. The custom shell, faceplate, and components all fit in the canal of the wearer. This device is best used by someone with a mild to moderate hearing loss. If you or someone you know has experienced hearing difficulty, it is time to get that hearing checked. If new hearing aids are recommended, the patient should get them only if they are truly motivated to use them every day. Otherwise, time and money is wasted. There is no time like the present for Spring cleaning and addressing your overdue list of to-dos. Get busy and finally do something about your hearing in 2014! MR. MURPHY HAS HAD A BILATERAL mILD-TOmODERATE SENSOR-INEURAL HEARING LOSS ALL HIS LIFE AND IS A BINAURAL IN-THE-CANAL HEARING AID USER. MR. MURPHY HAS BEEN IN PRACTICE IN PENNSYLVANIA SINCE RECEIVING HIS MASTER OF EDUCATION IN AUDIOLOGY FROm UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA IN THE SPRING OF 1987. MR. MURPHY IS AFFILIATED WITH A NUmBER OF HEARING RELATED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. HE CAN BE REACHED AT HEARINGDOC@AOL.COm AND BY PHONE AT 215-804-1111.

Field Trips Weekly Theme Activities Swimming Sports Arts & Crafts Full-Time Part-Time Drop-In www.lifespanchildcare.org

Think Local. Buy Local. Be Local.

April 2014 Upper Bucks Free Press

The Upper Bucks Free Press is made possible by the businesses you see on these pages. Please stop in to thank them for supporting your communitys voice.

Medicare Seminars Scheduled

Throughout the month of April, I will be holding free seminars that shows how all the pieces of the Medicare puzzle fit together. I have offered these seminars since 2007 and hundreds and hundreds of folks have attended with a good majority eventually using my services when it came time to choose a Supplemental Plan. These 60 minute seminars will present all of your Medicare options in a clear, simple manner. Whether you are approaching Medicare or already on it, you will find these seminars extremely informative and entertaining. We will go over the best way to enroll in Medicare when youre turning 65 or i older than 65. I will present in a very clear and straightforward manner all your supplemental options such as Medigap or Medicare Advantage. We will discuss how these options are different and how they meet different needs and different budgets. Part D Drug Plans will also be addressed. When it comes to choosing a Part D Drug Plan, there are several nuances you must be aware of so you choose the best plan for your specific prescriptions. Its very important when you go onto Medicare that you understand all the different services that are not covered by Medicare and we will go over these services so there are no surprises. Also discussed will be how Medicare relates to long-term convalescent care and what it pays for and what it does not pay for in regards to this type of care. Lastly, there will be ample time for questions and answers. This is often the most valuable part of the seminars because the questions that are asked usually pertain to everyone regardless of who asks them. If you are planning to come to one of the seminars, please RSVP so we may plan accordingly. There are plenty of handouts provided as well as refreshments. Please note that these seminars are for educational purposes only and the selling of Medicare Supplement Plans will not be offered. There is never any pressure, obligation, or nonsense. Please call with any questions. HOWARD PECK OWNS AND OPERATES SENIOR INSURANCE SOLUTIONS AND CAN BE REACHED AT 267-923-5281 AND SRINSURANCESOLUTIONS.COm

Spring is officially here. Before you get started with your spring cleaning, perhaps another matter deserves some dusting off that long-term financial plan. April is National Financial Literacy Monththe perfect time to spring into action when it comes to planning your financial future. If you already have a plan, this is a great opportunity to take another look at it and make sure youre still on track to reach your financial goals. According to a 2013 survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the past few years have seen a sharp decline in Americans confidence about their retirement savings. Only 13 percent of workers feel very confident about having enough for a comfortable retirement and 28 percent are not at all confident. More than half of workers have less than $25,000 in total savings and investments. Twenty-eight percent of workers have saved less than $1,000. If you havent begun saving for retirement, now is a good time to startno matter what your age. If retirement is near, youll want to jump into the fast lane right away. If youre younger and retirement seems a lifetime away, its still in your best interest to begin saving now. Heres how much the magic of compound interest will work to your advantage. For example, a 25-year old who begins saving $100 a month and earns a modest 5 percent interest will have more than $150,000 at age 65. Save $200 a month and youre looking at more than

Dust Off Your Financial Plan!

$300,000. Experts agree that saving when youre young will make a world of difference when the time comes to draw on your retirement savings. Dont just take our word for it. You can check out the numbers yourself. A great way to start figuring out how much you will need for retirement is to use Social Securitys online Retirement Estimator, which offers an instant and personalized estimate of your future Social Security retirement benefits based on your earnings record. Try it today at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator. We encourage saving for retirement, but there are reasons to save for every stage of life. A great place to go for help is www.mymoney.gov (the official U.S. governments website dedicated to teaching Americans the basics of finances.) Whether you are looking for information about buying a home, balancing your checkbook, or investing in your 401(k) plan, the resources on www.mymoney.gov can help you. The Ballpark Estimator at www.choosetosave.org/ballpark is another excellent online tool. It makes complicated issues, like projected Social Security benefits and earnings assumptions on savings, easy to understand. If you have to choose between scrubbing down the house or scrubbing your budget to get your financial house in order, we recommend putting off the cleaning one more day. Get started on planning your future right now at www.socialsecurity.gov. TOm REILEY IS THE SOCIAL SECURITY DISTRICT MANAGER IN ALLENTOWN. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY mATTERS? EmAIL TOm AT THOmAS.REILEY@SSA.GOV.

Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

Jim Scully, a Person I Will Never Forget

Back in the 50s and 60s not many people lived in the area that had moved here from another state. When that occurred, these Auslanders naturally were observed more than other new neighbors who were just moving from one township to another. This past St. Patricks Day brought back the memory of one such neighbor. When we moved from outside Richlandtown to the Brick Tavern area, we were accepted right off the bat. Our new neighbors always were discussing the gentleman and his family who lived at the old Hallman Ice Mill and dam at the bottom of Mill Pond Road. Our nextdoor neighbor who was on the same party line as this gentleman and would mention to my mother that she thought the he bet on horses as he was always mentioning funny names on the phone. Others called him a Gentleman Farmer as that title was always given to outof-staters who raised something else than the normal cows, pigs, and chickens. Mr. Scully raised sheep. His wife, Dorothy, had a mailorder business sending out items that today are found in very successful mail-order businesses of the same very miscellaneous items. Within a short time, we got to know more about Gentleman Jim who would come up the road in his white 54 Buick or blue Ford pickup truck. All the kids worked for a local Truck Farmer (gegetable Grower) earning anywhere between 25 to 35 cents an hour when certain vegetables were ready for harvest. Mr. Scully needed someone to mow his lawn and help with his sheep. My brother Bob heard about the job and found out he would pay 75 cents an hour. Bob went to see him and was hired. Later on that summer Mr. Scully had some excavating done and wanted to have the dirt bulldozed in his field sifted and a special vegetable garden made so he needed more help. Bob suggested that Mr. Scully hire me and so he did. This is how I got to know a very special person-Jim Scully. As it turned out, the funny names heard on the phone werent horses names, they were the ticker names given in reference to stock transfers. Mr. Scully dealt in buying and selling stocks through Ammott, Baker, & Company. Later on when I went to senior high school, I would work after school during the winter for him and sometimes even went down to his Philadelphia office during the summer, stuffing envelopes and doing clerical work. Mr. Scully (as I always addressed him), remains my special mentor in life beside that of my parents. He always stressed doing a task by first thinking out the task to be done and doing it in the best method. Sometimes he would come out to check on how I was doing on a special outdoor job and correct what I was doing explaining why to do it that way. He would say, Dont do it the lazy mans way, you will have to work that much harder! Sometimes he would perform a job in a more citified way take for instance when after a snowfall, I would walk down to his place to shovel the many sidewalks. He would have me watch to tell him when the snowplow was coming near on the township road. He then would go towards the road with a partial bottle of whiskey and shake it in the air so that the contracted driver would drive in the horseshoe driveway to get it and continue on out after retrieving the bottle. Thus he eliminated hours of shoveling at very little cost! The job that I was first hired for to help my brother was to sift dirt that was dug across his pasture to divert one of the upper sources of the Unami creek to better water his sheep. Can you imagine that today? All kinds of Federal and State agencies would come down on you for doing a massive stream change. He also experimented with raising celery in his special garden. I never saw bigger celery in my whole life. He checked with Mr. Croman about trenching the celery underground to preserve it to dig up during the winter. As it happened something went wrong and when we dug it up around Thanksgiving it was all rotten. We would have to worm the sheep and I experienced many a wild sheep ride catching those sheep to hold while he inserted the pill in their mouth. When his family had special life events he had a large tent erected for a special reception and we helped with those affairs. When we moved to California Road, when I was in 10th grade, Mr. Scully helped my dad get that rental when our former landlords widow decided to move into the home we rented. I still worked for Mr. Scully, bicycling to his place, crossing the 309 at Pumping Station Road without the aid of a traffic light. After I was married, Mr. Scully met with my wife and me in his small office in town (he had moved about five years earlier) and once again gave us a tutoring on how we should plan our budget including saving for retirement. I credit that tutoring to our present enjoyment of retirement. In closing, Jim Scully was one special person. In my years of knowing him I found out just how well this Auslander was really liked and admired in the community. On St. Pattys Day Gentleman Jim would hold a party for invited guests (which I was one) in the DonDor-Mor room at Trainers restaurant. He was always good for a joke and everyone within earshot would hear it, as he was very hard of hearing and spoke with a very loud voice as his hearing aids were singing! I was walking through the cemetery placing flags for veterans this year and I passed his tombstone stopping briefly to honor the man who helped form the person I am today. Thank God I got to know this Irishman (James Patrick Scully)A Gentleman Farmer!

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April 2014 Upper Bucks Free Press

More Valuable than you Think

With more expertise and and Kate Spade are bringing big bucks with education than most apprais- collectors, particularly young women. ers who serve clients in their 3. Quilts and Coverlets homes, I have identified very Grandmas quilt (and even pieces that have valuable objects that were not been sewn together) and coverlets in cheoverlooked for numerous cli- nille and other materials command monetary ents over the years. In most attention at auctions and antique shows. homes, I can spot $25,000 4. Wooden Chairs worth of valuables that you have overlooked. I Solid wood construction retains value in have helped people consider the true value of rocking chairs, painted chairs, Windsor chairs, their mothers Lladro collection and how to sell kitchen chairs of maple, oak, and cherry. it, make families take a second look 5. Precious metals (platinum, at the money that could be gleaned gold, silver, etc.) from grandpas rock collection, Any item or pieces of items made and point out how much that ugly of precious metals hold their value painting in the guest bedroom is and always will. really worth. 6. Artwork Most families who are downsizJust because you cant identify ing, cleaning out estates, or trying it, dont know who the artist is, or to deal with the objects collection dont like the piece doesnt mean by relatives over a lifetime do not it isnt valuable. I can spot a valuknow the real value of their stuff on able work of art a mile away. Dont the market. I do. For those of you overlook sculpture, paintings or who havent yet had me in your works on paper home for an in-home appraisal, I Solid wood bamboo 7. Cookie jars and stoneware have compiled this top 10 list of the side chair, circa 1920. crocks and containers objects that are more valuable than you think. 8. Sports equipment (fishing rods, golf Dont overlook these items because I have seen clubs, etc.) them change peoples lives. Ive been there to 9. Architectural objects attached to your help. home or business Dont let these objects go without realizing Built ins are big, wrought iron railings, firethe much needed money that they could bring place tiles, lighting fixtures, door and cabinet to your family. Most people know that vin- hardware are only some of the items that have tage toys are valuable, but did you know that considerable value. computer parts can bring home the cash too? 10. Boxes (yes, simple boxes!) Dont rely on an appraisal that only focuses Wooden boxes of all types with and withon one thingspecialty appraisalssince no out locking mechanisms, souvenir boxes, tea one collects only one type of thing. Dont let boxes, cigar boxes, jewelry, knife boxes, and anything go without an in-home appraisal that the list goes on. If you can put something in covers everything. I conduct these appraisals it, somebody wants to give you money for it. CELEBRITY PH.D. ANTIQUES APPRAISER, AUTHOR, regularly with stunning results. AND AWARD-WINNING TV PERSONALITY, DR. LORI 1. Costume and Fine Jewelry Most people think that only the real bling HOSTS ANTIQUES APPRAISAL EVENTS WORLDWIDE. DR. is worth money, but costume jewelry pieces LORI IS THE STAR APPRAISER ON DISCOVERY CHANNELS HIT SHOW AUCTION KINGS. TO LEARN ABOUT command high prices, too. YOUR ANTIQUES, VISIT DRLORIV.COm, FACEBOOK. 2. Shoes and Handbags Vintage names like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, COm/DOCTORLORI, OR @DRLORI ON TWITTER.

Top 10 Collectibles:

Cookies from Home an Intergenerational Project

BY MIKI CHELTON As the Girl Scout cookie season comes to an end, the girls of Brownie Troop 207 and Daisy Troop 2762, out of West Rockhill Elementary, have one last sale to close. They will be shipping over 340 boxes of cookies to the soldiers deployed on the U.S.S. Mesa Verde. The girls have not only been working to sell cookies in their community, but have also been focusing their efforts to sell cookies to support our soldiers deployed in active duty. The program, called Cookies from Home, is nationwide in which a person can buy a box of cookies and have it sent to military deployed all over the world. This year, rather than sending the cookies to a warehouse to be distributed, Brownie Troop 207 and Daisy troop 2762 decided to ship their cookies to the U.S.S. Mesa Verde directly from Sellersville. Two of the girls in the troops have their uncle, Cory Bemis, on the ship. Having this direct connection made it an easy decision as to what to do with the cookies. As the cookie season progressed this year, Brownie Troop 26065 from Corys hometown of Titusville, PA learned of the Sellersville troops plan. They decided to participate in the effort as well. This has truly brought together girls from opposite sides of the state of Pennsylvania in order to give some love and cookies to our soldiers who are deployed. The cookies will be mailed from the Sellersville post office to the ship. Cards made by the girls, and also by the residents at Hidden Meadows on the Ridge, where the girls volunteer, will be sent with the cookies. Hidden Meadows on the Ridge has graciously donated all moneys for the shipping of the cookies so that all money that the girls raised for the military went directly to buying cookies. Cookies from Home is a program that is available every year during cookie season. So, when you pass those adorable faces, but really dont want another box to take home, remember about Cookies from Home. Buy a box for those who cant and bring a smile to a soldiers face.

Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

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April is Sarcoidosis Awareness Month

I am a lifetime resident of the Quakertown area and I have a little known disease called Sarcoidosis. What is Sarcoidosis? Sarcoidosis (pronounced SAR-COY-DOE-SIS) is an inflammatory disease that can affect almost any organ in the body. It causes heightened immunity, which can cause the body to overreact to infection and disease, resulting in damage to the bodys own tissues. The classic feature of sarcoidosis is the formation of granulomas, microscopic clumps of inflammatory cells that group together. When too many of these clumps form in an organ they interfere with organ functions. In the United States, sarcoidosis most commonly targets the lungs and lymph nodes, but the disease can and usually does affect others organs, too, including the skin, eyes, liver, salivary glands, sinuses, kidneys, heart, the muscles, bones, and the brain and nervous systems. What Causes Sarcoidosis? It is probably due to a combination of factors. Bacteria, viruses or chemicals might trigger the disease. Genetics may play a role. Who Has Sarcoidosis? Once thought rare, sarcoidosis is now known to be common and affects people worldwide. The disease can affect people of any age, race and gender. However, it is most common among adults between the ages of 20 and 40. Disease severity can vary by race or ethnicity. In the United States, it is most common in African Americans and people of European particularly Scandinavian descent. Most studies suggest a higher disease rate for women. What are the Symptoms? Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder. Symptoms typically depend on which organ the disease affects. Most often the disease will affect the lungs. General: About one third of patients will experience non-specific symptoms of fever, fatigue, weight loss, night sweats and an overall feeling of malaise (or ill health), Lungs, Lymph Nodes, Liver, Heart, Brain & Nervous System, Skin, Bones, Joints & Muscles,Eyes, Sinuses, Nasal Muscosa (lining) & Larynx, and other Organs: Rarely, the gastrointestinal tract, reproductive organs, salivary glands and the kidneys are affected. How is Sarcoidosis Diagnosed? Symptoms of sarcoidosis can mimic those of other diseases. Frequently, sarcoidosis is diagnosed because a routine chest x-ray shows an abnormality. To accurately diagnose the disease, most doctors will take a medical history and perform a physical examination. Laboratory tests of the blood, chest x-rays, breathing tests and biopsy are all diagnostic tools. What is the Treatment for Sarcoidosis? Different treatments will work better for different people, and sometimes more than one drug is used. In some cases, no treatment is needed. But, for some patients, intense treatment is required. I want to give you a patients perspective of living with this disease, because, as is my case, it can be life altering My journey with this disease began back in early 2009 when I had my yearly visit from the bronchitis fairy, which was a regular, yearly event for almost 10 years at that time. This time, it wouldnt go away no matter what level of antibiotic my doctor tried with me. I had a persistent cough, then stomach pains which escalated into having problems keeping food down to the point that I was vomiting after every meal. Two years prior to this, my gallbladder was removed while experiencing the same symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting. The gastroenterologist I was seeing thought that I still had a piece of a gallstone lodged in my common bile duct, so he ordered an MRI, followed by an endoscopy which found no issues. He ordered a biopsy of my liver. While I was recovering back in my room, the surgeon came in and told me that I had sarcoidosis. I looked at my wife, then back at him and said What the hell is that? He wrote it on the back of his business card and told me I had lots of reading to do. Boy was he ever right! The problem with this disease is that not many doctors are really familiar with it. Most patients, who educate themselves from experienced physicians and support groups, like the one Im involved in at www. inspire.com/groups/stop-sarcoidosis/ are more informed and knowledgable than many doctors out there! The hospital pathologist sent my liver sample to a specialist at the University of Utah who said that he had never seen that high of a concentration of granulomas in a liver. Since sarcits what most of us sarkies call itis primarily a lung disease, my gastroenterologist set me up with a pulmonologist who was associated with Grand View Hospital, but she couldnt get me in until September. By early August, my sons were starting football practice with QMFA. I was walking down the path to my younger sons practice field and all of a sudden, I got the feeling that my heart had jumped in my throat and I was out of breath, and I felt very weak. I HAD to sit down before I fell down. After I sat for a while, it went away, and I felt better. Then, two days later, it happened again. I thought I was just tired. But, it continued to occur to the point that I went into the ER at St. Lukes on August 11, 2009. They checked me out, did and EKG, and gave me Prednisone, to help open up my lungs. I started taking the Prednisone, but at night, I couldnt sleep. My stomach felt like it was a balloon ready to pop, so I stopped taking it. I still thought it was all because of my lungs, so I contacted my family doctor, Dr. Daniel Stauffer, to see if he could get me into a St. Lukes pulmonologist sooner than my late September appointment. That phone call, and the subsequent actions of some fantastic doctors literally saved my life. He set me up to see Dr. Deb Stahlnecker, pulmonologist with St. Lukes Critical Care Associates in Bethlehem on August 25th. She asked about my general health, and namely about my diagnosis of sarcoidosis. She also pulled up the EKG that was done on August 11th in the ER. She immediately noticed that I had an irregular heartbeat, so she set up an appointment with a colleague of hers, Dr. Darren Traub from St. Lukes Cardiology, who is an electrophysiologista cardiologist who specializes in the hearts electrical system. This was the next day, August 26th. Once in his office, they did another EKG to compare with the one taken two weeks prior, and there was a pronounced dip where the hill/trough was supposed to be for the lower chamber of the heartthe ventricles. He was very concerned and wanted me to have a cardiac MRI, which is a detailed scan of the heart muscle and conduction nerves. He said that I was in partial A/V block, in which the node that signals the ventricles to beat wasnt getting the correct signal, and was taking longer than normal to beat. He said he wanted me in hospital immediately because I ran the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. I told him I couldnt because my dad had just died the day before and that the funeral was on Saturday. (It was Thursday when I saw him in the office.) He pleaded with me come in, but I declined because I wouldnt miss my fathers funeral. By the day of the funeral, my shortness of breath was getting badreally bad, and my chest was tight, but I still went to the service and the burial. I didnt go to the wake afterward because my wife took me straight to St. Lukes in Bethlehem to be admitted. They put a heart monitor on me and would see the results in the morning. At 7am Sunday morning, a surgeon from Dr. Traubs office came in with the printout from my overnight monitoring session and told me that I was in FULL A/V blockmy ventricles were not beating at all. He said that I would be taken immediately to the cardiac catheterization lab to be connected to a temporary pacemaker with a lead wire that he fished into my heart from an incision near my right collarbone. He told me the risks of living with an ICD..an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, which is a combination pacemaker/defibrillator. I said that it didnt make a differenceeither I get it or I die. He said good point! The next morning, I was prepped for the actual ICD procedure. I spent the next few days in the hospital recovering and really starting to feel good again. The most common medication for Sarc is Prednisone, which is a corticosteroid used to treat inflammationwhich is what Sarc causes. I was put on 80 mg per day. When I went home, my neighbors commented on how much better I lookedthat the color had come back to my face. Apparently I looked gray prior to going in the hospital. I had also lost about 50lbs since February that year because of the constant vomiting, which got to the point that I sometimes wouldnt eat. Unfortunately, this energetic feeling was only temporary as I had to decrease my dosage of Prednisone because experienced what they call steroid rage, or roid rage. I couldnt control myself. Id fly off the handle for no reason and was screaming at my wife and kids. Dr. Jekyll literally turned into Mr. Hydeand I HATED that version of me. When I dropped down to 40mg, the roid rage went awaybut so did all that newfound energy. Then I also started experiencing new and different symptoms. My joints were killing me. So were my muscles. My hands and feet would cramp up to the point that I flipped a forkful of food onto the floor when my thumb jammed itself under my palm. I had to pull off the road while driving because my right foot would suddenly turn hard to the right and I couldnt control it. I also started to have memory and confusion issues. Everyone gets sidetracked once in a while. You go into a room and forget why you are therebut this was happening several times per day. I couldnt remember what I had said just minutes before. My family constantly reminded me that I was repeating things over and over again. My spleen was now affected as well as my bone marrow. My blood platelet count was rapidly dropping to the point that my hematologist was starting to worry. I got my first case of pinkeye in my lifeit was now in my eyes. And, from what several people stated in my support group, left unchecked, it can quickly turn to blindness. I saw my ophthalmologist who noticed that the inflammation had just started, so he put me on Prednolisone dropswhich is Prednisone for the eye. I was lucky in that he stopped it before it did any damage. It moved to my skin. I had erythema nodosum, which are red bumps that can be itchy and sting. They still come and go. I have pain on the soles of my feet. This is peripheral neuropathy, which is an aspect of neurosarcoidosis. Imagine the feeling that someone is beating the bottoms of your feet with a 2 x 4. Thats what it feels like. My spleen is also affected, and they would have liked to remove it, but I have portal hypertension between it and my liver, and removing it would be very risky as several blood vessels would need rerouting, but they are damaged from the portal hypertension. I eventually had to be taken off of the Prednisone because it was literally destroying my stomach lining. I was able to be approved for Remicade, which is normally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but since RA is also an inflammatory disease, it works well with sarkies. Fortunately, my insurance covers it, because its a costly treatment option and is only given as a last resort. It runs approximately $6,000 per infusion that I get every 6 weeks. Im not writing all of this so sound like Im looking for pity party; Im writing this to bring awareness to a disease that, from the outside, most people dont even know you have. One statement that we chronic sarkies get is Oh, but you dont look sick. Neither does a beautiful home that is being ravaged by termites from the inside and is one the brink of collapse. In recent years, it has taken the lives of some famous celebrities including comedian Bernie Mac, actor Michael Clarke Duncan, and former Philadelphia Eagle Reggie White. Although it was never officially diagnosed, I do believe it caused the deaths of my mother, grandfather, and two uncles. I now have many of the same symptoms they had. My mom was the most recent, having passed away in 2004. She was exposed to black mold in 2002 from moldy hay she spread on her vegetable garden. One uncle raised show pigeons and was exposed to dander from the birds, the other was a butcher, and my grandfather raised chickensagain, dander. In my case, I was exposed to pharmaceutical dust during the production process at a former job. My son, who is a senior at Quakertown High School, was inspired by my battle with sarcoidosis so he used that as a basis for his senior project to raise money for research through his Youtube channel in which he puts up edited videos of his exploits in the world of Call of Duty! He received high praise from the teachers judging his project last falland Im very proud of him! Some people who get this disease are lucky in that if they get it in just their lungs, they stand a good chance of it clearing up in a few years. In my case, and those of the other members of my online support group, we have the multi-organ or systemic version of sarc that doesnt go away. A member posted a study that shows that people in my situation usually dont live past the age of 60. In fact, one member, who was caught in the dust cloud of the collapsing World Trade Center in 2001 died from this in 2011. He was only 39 years old. Another friend, who had cardiac sarcoidosis like me, was considering having the ICD implanted, but waited too long. He died from sudden cardiac arrest and dropped dead in the grocery store. It can be scary sometimes. As Im writing this, Im dealing with increased edemaexcess fluid in the body that causes your feet and ankles to swell, and when is collecting around the heart, causes congestive heart failure. I live one day at a time and cherish every moment I have with my wife and family. They are what keep me going. For more information, and if you wish to donate, please visit:The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research: http://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/

April 2014 Upper Bucks Free Press

Garden Affaires Promises a Bouquet to Delight the Senses

In just a few short years, Quakertown Alive!s annual Garden Affaires tour has become one of the highlights of the local calendar. This years event, Reflections in the Garden, promises another beautiful experience. The tour and its popular marketplace are set for June 22, 10am 4pm. This years garden tour promises to be an event with aspects to delight all of your senses. The fragrance of the blooming annuals and perennials will lead you down the garden path to the beauty within. Youll be able to watch artists from Art Noveau Galleries create artworks in the different gardens. The babbling water features of the gardens amongst the uplifting voices of various birds and wildlife will offer a counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of daily life. Highlights also include whimsical architectural features and unique container gardens . The Marketplace at the Burgess Foulke House is open to the public and will feature retail sales of plants and garden-related accessories from local nurseries and garden centers, live demonstrations, an informative Master Gardener booth, and much more. You will be able to purchase same-day tour tickets at the Marketplace and chances to win fabulous raffle prizes. An added enhancement to the garden tour experience is the Evening Reflections reception on June 21, 7pm 10pm. This relaxing outdoor party fosters a sense of camaraderie with this years featured garden homeowners and Quakertown Alive! volunteers in a relaxed setting with complimentary refreshments and libations. Tickets will be available online beginning April 1. Advance ticket buyers have the option to include a brown bag lunch from Karlton Caf for a small additional cost. Your pre-ordered lunch will be available for pick-up at Quakertown Alive!s Marketplace booth. Advance tour ticket prices: $15 per person ($12, senior), with a brown-bag lunch - $20 per person ($17,senior). The Evening Reflections reception ticket cost is $40 per person which includes the garden tour on June 22. Add a brown-bag lunch for tour day for an additional $5.

Bob Podraza, AAMS

(Next to Fischers Tuxedo) If you would like a free review of your 401k, IRA, Mutual Funds, 215-536-3635 Stocks, Bonds, Annuities or any of your other investments to see if they are appropriate for your long-term goals, bob.podraza@edwardjones.com please call or stop by today.

As you save and invest for retirement, what are your ultimate goals? Do you plan on traveling the world? Purchasing a vacation home? Pursuing your hobbies? People often think and plan for these costs. Yet, too often, many of us overlook what potentially could be a major expense during our retirement years: health care. By preparing for these costs, you can help yourself enjoy the retirement lifestyle youve envisioned. Many of us may ignore the impact of health care costs because we just assume Medicare will pay for everything. But thats not the case. In estimating health care costs during retirement, you may find that $4,000 to $6,000 per year per person for traditional medical expenses is a good starting point, although the amount varies by individual. Furthermore, this figure does not include the costs of long-term care, which can be considerable. To illustrate: The national average for home health aide services is nearly $45,000 per year, and a private room in a nursing home is nearly $84,000 per year, according to a recent survey by Genworth, a financial security company. So what can you do to help cope with these costs? Here are a few suggestions: Estimate your costs. Try to estimate what your out-of-pocket health care costs might be, based on your health, your age at retirement, whatever supplemental insurance you may carry and other factors. Know the key dates. Things can change in your life, but try to identify, as closely as possible, the age at which you plan to retire. This will help you spot any coverage gaps before you become eligible for Medicare at age 65. Also, be aware of the seven-month window for enrolling in Medicare, beginning three months before your 65th birthday. Review your insurance options. Medicare-

Prepare for Healthcare Costs During Retirement

Stellar Performance by High School Artists

BY KIMBERLY KRATZ In their final evening performance of the musical AIDA, S.T.A.R.S. and Pennridge High School students delivered a professional show that kept a packed house spellbound. Jessica Dowling, who played the lead role of Aida, a young Nubian princess, performed her part with a passion perfectly paired to her energetic vocal styling. Coupled with seasoned singer Sam Krivda, who played Radames, the Egyptian prince destined to become pharaoh and the object of Aidas affection, the two commanded the stage, both individually and with their heartfelt duets. Playing Amneris, the Egyptian woman betrothed to Radames, Emma Guelzow delivered an admirable performance, showcasing her talent for both comedic timing and singing. In the mildly sarcastic song and dance number My Strongest Suit, Guelzow shined as did her Handmaidens, played by Lauren Price and Taylor Sudholz. The team of dancers wellchoreographed accompaniment lent credibility to her role. Jayce Meredith, Corey Totten, Cian Grourke, Sam Levy, Lauren Padron, Silas Guelzow, and Jeremy Noel rounded out the ensemble, along with the dancers and chorus who had the audience securely in their hands. At times the crowd sat in near silence while at other times, they laughed aloud at the dialogue or cheered for musical performance. The cast belted out their passionate rendition of The Gods Love Nubia just before intermission, leaving the audience wanting more. Set design, costumes and casting were superior. Judging from the standing ovation and the tears flowing on the faces of the performers at the curtains close, the final AIDA performance was one worth remembering.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAD BRANNON

approved insurance companies offer some other parts to Medicare, including Part D, which covers prescription drugs; Medigap, which covers gaps in Parts A and B (in-hospital expenses, doctor services, outpatient care and some preventive services); and Part C (also known as Medicare Advantage, which is designed to replace Parts A, B, Medigap and, potentially, part D). You have several options for Part D, Medigap and Medicare Advantage, each with varying coverage and costs, so choose the plans that best fit your needs. (To learn more about Medicare and upplemental insurance, go to www.medicare.gov.) Develop a long-term care strategy. To meet long-term care costs, you could selfinsure or purchase insurance coverage. To learn about long-term care insurance solutions, contact your financial advisor. Invest for growth and rising income. Health care costs typically rise as you move further into retirement, so make sure that a reasonable portion of your assets is allocated to investments with the potential for both growth and rising income. Think about health care directives. If you were to become incapacitated, you might be unable to make health care decisions and these decisions may affect not only your quality of life but also your financial situation, and that of your family. Talk to your legal advisor about establishing a health care directive, which allows you to name someone to make choices on your behalf. Health care costs during your retirement may be unavoidable. But by anticipating these costs, you can put yourself in a position to deal with them and thats a healthy place to be. SUBmITTED BY BOB PODRAZA, FINANCIAL ADVISOR AT EDWARD JONES, QUAKERTOWN. BOB CAN BE REACHED AT 215-536-3635.

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Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

EDWIN RUSTY LEROY LEISTER, JR., 89, of Merritt Island, Florida passed away peacefully in his home at Cedar Creek Life Center, Tuesday, February 25, 2014. Rusty was born on February 9, 1925 in Quakertown, PA, the son of the late Iona (Snyder) and Edwin Leister, Sr. A 1942 graduate of Quakertown High School, he was inducted into the Armys 179th Field Artillery Battalion in 1943 where he engaged in the D-Day invasion on the beaches of Normandy and in the Battle of the Bulge. He received the Meritorious Unit Award, Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal and the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal with 5 Bronze Stars. He was discharged in December, 1945. Upon returning from military service, he was employed by the former W. M. Moyer Co., Quakertown, until his retirement in 1987. He married Gilda Harner in May of 1950 and they resided in Quakertown. Rusty married Nonna Bull in 1992 and they took permanent resident in Cocoa Beach, Florida in 1995. Rusty was an avid golfer and a member of the Masonic Lodge. He enjoyed dancing, cruises and fishing off the Cocoa Beach pier. Survivors: Son, John Leister (wife Tamara), and daughter, Joan Leister Ocamb (husband Randall), Quakertown; daughter-in-law Paige Miller Leister, Scottsdale, AZ; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Adam and Jacob Leister, Madeline and Benjamin Ocamb; stepchildren Frank Bull, Ilona Kahl, Peter Bull, and Yvonne

Myers; six step grandchildren and two step great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Gilda Harner Leister; second wife, Nonna Bull Leister; and son, Joseph Cary Leister. Services: Relatives and friends are invited to attend his memorial service at noon on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at Jeffrey A. Naugle Funeral & Cremation Services, Quakertown. Visitation from 11:00 a.m. noon. Interment will follow the service at Quakertown Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name may be made to: VITAS Innovative Hospice Care, 4450 W. Eau Gallie Boulevard, Suite 250, Melbourne, FL 32934. JUDITH L. HOWE, 65, of Macungie died February 27 in her home. Born in Quakertown she was the daughter of the late Arthur H. and Marguerite J. (Bleam) Yoder. She was a retired school teacher and realtor. She is survived by a sister Sandra A. Yoder of Coopersburg. Two nieces Karen Orzel (Michael) of Quakertown and Wendy Lewis of Ocala, FL. A brother in law William E. Lewis of Ocala, FL. She was predeceased by a sister Nancy C. Lewis. HELEN M. FENSTERMACHER, 79, of Richland Township died Friday February 28 in GrandView Hospital, Sellersville. Born in Richlandtown she was the daughter of the late Earl S. and Rosa Ellen (Afflerbach) Fenstermacher. Before her retirement she was a presser for the former Swan Lee in Richlandtown. She is survived by two brothers, Earl S., Jr. and Robert W. both of Richland Township. KENNETH G. MICK SLOTTER, SR., 83, of Center Valley, died Fri. Feb.28, in Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest. Prior to his retirement in 1993, he worked as a gauge calibrator for US Gauge, Division of Ameteck Inc, Sellersville. Born in Richlandtown, he was a son of Harvey and Ida (Croman) Slotter. He served in the US Army during the Korean War. He was a member of the Perkasie Owls, former Quakertown Moose Lodge and Nase-Kraft American Legion, Sellersville. He is survived by sons, Kenneth Jr., wife Teri,

~Obituaries~

Quakertown, Robert, wife Tammy, Center Valley and Glenn, wife Nina, Quakertown; daughters, Kathy, Center Valley and Stacey, companion Lynn, Gilbertsville; 13 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by brother LeRoy and sister Melba Benner. FRANCES DAMORE, 93, of Lafayette Hill died March 2. Wife of the late Carmen DAmore. Born in Philadelphia daughter of the late Antonio & Anna Rose (Natale) Massari. Beloved mother to her three children Salvatore (Phyllis), Connie Kalinoski (Raymond) and Anna. Brother Rudy, five grandchildren four great grandchildren. Predeceased by four brothers and a sister. DOROTHY DeWOLF, 66, of Quakertown died March 9 in St. Lukes Hospice House, Bethlehem. A long-time resident in Sellersville, she was the wife of the late Albert DeWolf. Born in Coaldale, PA she was the daughter of Paul Snyder of Lehighton and the late Miriam (Fritz) Snyder. Dorothy was last employed as a personal caretaker for handicapped adults. A dedicated volunteer for many years, she was the current Vice President of the North Penn Goodwill Services Ladies Auxiliary and member of the Women of the Moose Chapter 471 in Sellersville. Formerly she was actively involved in Pack 1 Cub Scouts of Sellersville as a Tiger Cub Coach for over 15 years. Other hobbies Dorothy enjoyed were reading and baking. In addition to her father she is survived by a son Edward DeWolf (Stacy) of Stowe, PA and a daughter Cathy Ollis (Jeff) of Dresher, a brother Barron Snyder (Betty) of Lehighton, a sister Helen Goetter (Carl G.) of Hatfield, two grandchildren Chase & Ella DeWolf and numerous nieces and nephews. EDWARD L. MARTIN, 86, of Milford Square died March 9 in his home. He was the husband of the late Doris E. (Ziegler) Martin. Born in Quakertown he was the son of the late Alfred & Lydia (Nace) Martin. He was a laborer for the U.S. Gauge Ametek Division in Sellersville before retiring. He loved animals and rescued two Airedales. Edward was a U.S. Navy Veteran serving with the Seabees during World War II. He is survived by a sister Shirley Erb and her husband Richard of Trumbauersville. Predeceased by two brothers Lester, and Kenneth and a sister Elsie Schaub. LORRAINE F. HECKLER, 82, of Quakertown died peacefully March 13 in the company of her loving family. Born in Quakertown she was the daughter of the late Ralph & Bessie (Seifert) Weaver. She is survived by two sons Scott and his wife Denise of Trumbauersville, Tim and his wife Barbara of Palmer, Alaska. Three grandchildren Rebecca Spor and her husband Stephen, Rachel Frey all of Trumbauersville, and Michael Burkholder of Palmer, Alaska. Two great grandchildren Stephen & Hunter Spor. HELEN MARY CASELLA, 82, Quakertown, died March 14 in St. Lukes Hospital Quakertown, with her daughters and loving husband, Wayne of 48 years by her side. A 1949 graduate of Mastbaum Vocational High School, she worked for many years at the Bell Telephone System in downtown Philly. Born if Philadelphia she was a daughter or the late Walter and Helen (Barrett) DeTreux. A 36 year resident of Bucks County, previously of Southampton she was the loving mother of two daughters, Suzanne Payne, husband Ty, and Karen Alford, husband Richard, a very proud and loving grandmother of six, Cody, Robin and James Payne and Nicholas, Matthew and Lindsey Alford, sister of Karen Kulb, Patricia Milewski, Doug Jamison and Francis DeTreux and half-brother Walt Kelly. She is preceded in death by sister, Gloria Fanelli and brother Walter, aka Sonny. CAROLYN F. DOUGERT, 77, of Quakertown died March 15 in St. Lukes Hospital, Quakertown Campus. She was the devoted partner of Darlene D. Ruth for 40 years. She retired in 1999 from Delbar Products, Inc., Perkasie. In addition to her partner she is survived by a son Joseph. A brother Edward, four sisters Geraldine, Lorretta, Lynn, and Ellen. FRANK M. ADAMCZYK, 88 of Quakertown died Wednesday March 19 in St. Lukes Hospice House. He was the husband of the late Elizabeth Betty (Booth) Adamczyk. Born in Sellersville he was the son of the late John and Anna (Koral) Adamczyk. He was a maintenance manager for Brooks Instruments, LLC. in Hatfield before his retirement. He was a member of St. Johns Lutheran Church

in Quakertown where he also served as a former sexton. He was also an avid Phillies fan. Frank was a U.S. Navy Veteran serving during WWII and a member of the Quakertown American Legion. He is survived by a daughter Cathy of Quakertown, two sons Robert (Tracy) of Carthage, TN and Michael (Karen) of Zionsville. A sister Sophia Suida of NJ. Five grandchildren and six great grandchildren. He was predeceased by brothers John, Joe and George and one grandchild. FRANK A. MANONE, SR., 82, of Quakertown formerly of Sellersville died March 19 in his home. Born in Philadelphia he was the son of the late Anthony & Clara J. (Dantino) Manone. He was an iron worker for the Ironworkers Local Union 405, Philadelphia, PA and Ironworkers Local Union 68 of Trenton, NJ, retiring in 1994. Frank was an avid fisherman. He is survived by two daughters Deborah Lovette, Lisa Sobota (Michael), and Frank, Jr. Four grandchildren Lexi, Courtney, Austin, and Ciara, three great grandchildren Gianna, Brookelyn, and Dennis. IRENE H. FOULKE, 88, of Quakertown, died March 19 in her home. She worked in the lumber and building materials business for over 40 years, first at Geo. W. Amey Lumber, Richlandtown, and then at Shelly Enterprises, Perkasie, prior to retiring in 2006. She was Born in Chester, then moved to a farm in Pleasant Valley, where she attended a one room school and later Palisades High School. She moved to Quakertown in 1941, where she lived until she died. She was a daughter of the late John and Mary (Karwoska) Perkowski. She was married to Chester Foulke in 1963, she is survived by daughter, Mary (Foulke) Schiele and her husband Edward, Quakertown. She is preceded in death by brothers, Stanley, Joseph, Chester and Benjamin and sisters Alice Rutkowski, Sabina Savoy, and Mary Amey. JOSEPH P. SPINDLER, 87, of Bridgewater, NJ, passed away March 20, 2014. Joseph was born in Weehawken, NJ, April 29 1926. He lived in Cliffside Park until the family moved to Tenafly in 1941. He graduated from Tenafly High School in 1944 and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II in the European Theatre as a high speed radio operator. After the war he attended Stevens Institute of Technology where he earned a Mechanical Engineering degree. Joe began his career as an aerospace supervising engineer at Westinghouse Electric Aviation Gas Turbine Division, Eddystone, PA (1951-1957). Followed by All American Engineering Co., Wilmington, DE, (19571961). He moved his family to Malvern, PA in 1956 eventually joining The General Electric Company Missile and Space Division, Valley Forge (1961-1971) where he worked on the Biosatellite / Corona Project. He was awarded several patents during his aerospace career. In 1971 he moved his family to Bridgewater, NJ and began a consulting career with Carlson and Sweatt Consulting Engineers in New York City (1971-1978) followed by American Cyanamid, Sandoz, and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He retired from engineering in 1992 and took over the plant management, engineering, and programming duties for Ann Hemyng Candy Inc.s Chocolate Factory, in which he was a partner with his wife Louise. Joe was a serious gardener of fruit trees and vegetables, and had been treasurer of The Main Line Garden Club, Wayne, PA. He loved cruising the coastal waterways of New Jersey on his boat, and was a Navigator with the U.S. Power Squadron. He loved the New Jersey Shore throughout his life. Joe was a communicant and usher at St. Martins Episcopal Church, Bridgewater, NJ. Joseph Spindler is survived by Louise (Bridgewater, NJ), his wife of 63 years, three sons, Warren (Perkasie, PA), Mark (NJ), and Todd (Bowie, MD); his daughter, Karen (Bethlehem, PA); and three grandchildren Kirsten, Carl and John. He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Minnie and his brother Donald. A celebration of the life of Joseph Spindler will be held at 4pm on March 29, 2014 at St. Martins Episcopal Church, 1350 Washington Valley Rd. Bridgewater, NJ, with Father Bruce Montgomery officiating. In lieu of flowers the family requests that anyone who so wishes may donate to St. Martins Episcopal Church, 1350 Washington Valley Rd. Bridgewater, NJ, 08807; or Robert Wood Johnson Visiting Nurses c/o Visiting Nurses Association Health Group, 176 Riverside Ave., Red Bank, NJ 07701. To send condolences to the family, visit www.brucecvanarsdalefuneralhome.com

April 2014 Upper Bucks Free Press

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Looking Backwards Through a Prism

Im the Co-Clerk (sort of like a secular pastor), of Richland Friends (Quaker) Meeting in, of all places, Quakertown, Pennsylvania. For a few years I served as Meeting Historian, which means I did a lot of reading about ancient Upper Bucks County. Since I do this newspaper column and publish articles on Internet sites and in the Friends Journal, I got the reputation of knowing something about local history. My Free Press article in February made it look like I knew something about anti-slavery activities in Quakertown. Some people were interested in that. I was asked to talk to a couple of classes at United Friends School (Broad St at 10th in Quakertown), about the Underground Railroad. It was part of their celebration of Black History Month (Feb). Richland Friends Meeting was involved in the UGRR, offering assistance to many hundreds of run-away slaves in the early 1800s. Sheltering or abetting fugitive property was against Federal Law. It was a serious criminal act. Regardless of the possible repercussions, local Quakers (and others) willingly violated those laws, adhering to their principles of equality and human rights. A member of Richland Meeting and important local businessman, Richard Moore, operated a station, in the clandestine escape network. The safe-house was located a couple blocks down Main Street from the Quaker Meetinghouse and is still standing today. Ive talked about the topic before, but toned down my speech for the group of seven year olds. The fact that, in 1688 Daniel Pastorius of Germantown Friends Meeting voiced a concern to Philadelphia Yearly Meeting requesting that the Religious Society of Friends ban slavery (which they did in 1696), didnt seem to be relevant to the audience. That the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly tried to ban the importation of slaves in 1712 but was overruled by Englands Queen Anne didnt excite them either. When I said that William Penn kept 12 slaves at Pennsbury Manor, a half a dozen hands shot into the air. I was ready for questions about hypocrisy or Quaker philosophy, but instead I got a series of antidotes about the kids visit to Pennsbury Manor. They were forced by their teachers to do some yard work while they were there and felt a little like slaves, themselves. It seemed like a waste of time and information for me to specify 1813 (Richard Moore moved to Richland) or 1793 (the Fugitive Slave Act) or 1788 (Pennsylvania anti-slavery laws), so I kept saying to the kids, back in the old days. I realized that the old days might mean 1998 to them. Time and chronology is difficult to comprehend sometimes, even for adults. Sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of me with the other couple dozen kids was a cute little girl. Her parents are Members of Richland (my) Meeting, so she was automatically one of my favorites. I noticed that she got a puzzled look on her face several different times. When she finally raised her hand, I immediately called on her. Some people might think her question was silly. Many people Ive told about it laughed. But, it hit me pretty hard. It made me think about a childs perception of the world, in fact, about the perceptions and understandings all human beings develop. She asked, Back in the old days, was it just black and white? Someone had already asked if all slaves were black (they werent), so I asked, Do you mean the people? No, she said Were things black and white? I was still confused and asked, What do you meanthings? Everything, she tried to clarify. Like in the old movies. I was stunned. I sat there silently (which is very unusual) with my mouth hanging open. What she meant was, since all the photographs and movies shed seen of the old days were in black and white, did it mean that the old world was totally devoid of color? At first I thought, What a nave, misconceived perspective. But, then my mind began to expand the idea into a broader more complex concept. I had to struggle to bring myself back to that classroom, back into the world. To get things moving along again, I finally answered, No, the world was just like it is now. Trees were green and the sky was blue. I was bothered by that question long after Id finished my talk. I was still brooding about it at home that evening. Just what was the paradigm through which that little girl saw the world? How did history, how did the old days appear in her imagination? Was it really like an old movie, like an old TV show, to her? Did she really think that the world of Greta Garbo and the Cisco Kid was black and white; with gray skies, gray trees, gray cars, horses and people? As I thought more deeply about it I realized that the answer I gave her was totally inadequate, was perhaps even wrong. After all, color is only a disintegration of white light into its constituent parts. Is a fractured, multi-hued image a true representation of a thing? It is only after reflections of things enter our eyes and our minds that they become defined as red or blue or yellow. Actually, in this world (the old one and the new one), there are only two options: black darkness or white light. My thoughts drifted back to the topic of slavery that had put me in front of that class. My pondering refocused on the broader concepts that the question had provoked me to consider. If I take away my mortal shell, remove my eyes and the nerves that transport converted images to my brain where they are given color; will everything be just black and white? After all, as I learned in physics class, the observers act of observing changes what is seen. After ruminating over it for a while, I decided that a much better answer to that strange question would have been: Yes, little girl, in the old days things were black and white. William Penn (who freed his slaves when he died) once said: Right is right, even if everyone is against it. Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. Yes, my innocent, color blind, young friend, back then, if youre honest about it, it was just like it is noweverything is black and white. MORE ARTICLES BY JACK H. SCHICK CAN BE FOUND AT SEARCHWARP.COm OR SOULOFWIT.COm

BUFFALO (GRASS) BUTTERFLY (bUSH) CATNIP CATTAIL COWSLIP CRAbAPPLE DANdELION DEER (GRASS)

DOGWOOd ELEPHANT EAR EMU (bUSH) FOXGLOVE GOOSEbERRY HEN (ANd cHIcKS) HOG (WEEd) HORSERAdISH

HUMMINGbIRd (VINE) MONKEY (FLOWER) OSTRIcH (FERN) PEAcOcK (FERN) SNAKEROOT SNAPdRAGON TIGERLILY ZEbRA (GRASS)

7th Annual Clash of Choirs Makes a Joyful Noise for Relay for Life
The 7th Annual Clash of the Church Choirs: Sing for LIFE events is slated for Sunday, April 27 at 3 PM at St. Andrews Evangelical Lutheran Church, 20 Dill Avenue in Perkasie. Five local church choirs from different denominations in Upper Bucks will be singing to raise money for the American Cancer Societys Relay for Life of Quakertown. Choirs from St. Andrews Evangelical Lutheran Church of Perkasie, this years host church; West Swamp Mennonite Church of Quakertown, Trinity Lutheran Church Youth Choir of Perkasie, the First UCC Youth Choir of Quakertown and Still Small Voice from Christ UCC, Trumbauersville will all sing in friendly competition to raise donations for the upcoming May 3 Quakertown Relay for Life. Last year the concert garnered an amazing $5,120 as the audience voted for their favorite choir with monetary donations. The concert will end with a congregational hymn sing and a finale song performed by the combined choirs, led by St. Andrews director, Brian Bullard The choir that raises the most funds that day will be presented with a beautiful, hand- painted silk banner to display in their home church for the year. The banner was created by West Swamp choir member, Sue Shelly. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served following the concert while the donations are counted and winner determined. Come to enjoy this festive afternoon of church choirs and music while supporting our local Relay for Life.

Notes from American Legion Post 242

by DiCk Helm

As we get older, it seems the months seem to go by so quickly. Memorial Day is approaching rapidly and we are still in the midst of finalizing the plans for this special Parade and Service. We are working on the possibilities of a special guest speaker. One thing is for sure: the parade route is changing for 2014! See the next paragraph for all the route changes. The old route took us down Ninth St from Park Avenue across Broad to Mill St. then to the World War I Memorial. After the service, we would then go back to Broad Street and march back to the Post Building on East Broad Street. The new route is Ninth and Park Avenue across Juniper Street to West Broad Street right on Broad St. down to Third St. Left on Third Street to Mill Street then left on Mill Street to the World War I Memorial. The parade will end at Memorial Park and the Memorial Service. Any plans for refresh-

ments will take place at the pavilion area near the ball field. There will be no continuation of the parade after the Memorial Service. We will offer limited refreshments to the participants and guests after the service in the park area. The hot dogs and soda/water will be limited and will be on first-come-firstserved basis until supplies are diminished. We hope to have ample supplies, but because of it being our first year doing the combination of the parade, service, and refreshments at the park-- it certainly will be a learning curve that we would correct in the future years. Most important for that day is for you, the public, to come out to the parade and service to properly honor those who served and, most importantly, to honor those that gave their all from your community in past conflicts from the First World War to present day conflicts. We ask those folks along the parade route to help us by volunteering to limit the street parking on the streets involved. See you on May 26!

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Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

Ive had my fill of snow! I wanted to let all of you know that Erik from the This Kid Reviews Books column did a review on my book. You can see it on his blog. To read it, simply go to his blog, www. thiskidreviewsbooks.com and check out the March 6 post. Momma Jean also wants me to plug her choral groups concerts in May. The Valley Choral Society has concerts on May 17 and May 18. You should go on their website and listen to them sing Hallelujah on the video on the home page. The members are from all

over the valley. Many are from the Pennsburg area but many are also from Coopersburg, Perkasie and Quakertown. Also, check out the website if you would like to try out for this wonderful group or for information on their concerts. Their web site is www.valchor. com. Being a dog, I cant go to the concerts, but after hearing them on their web site I wish I could go. The concerts coming up are on May 17 at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Sumneytown at 7:30PM and on May 18 at the Trinity Church in Perkasie at 4PM.Sounds like a fun time for all. Mom hopes to see you all there. Love M.J.

QCHS Senior a Natl Merit Scholarship Finalist

BY ERIcA STEIN Quakertown Community High School senior Colin Fowler was named a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. He becomes one of 32 QCHS students, dating back to 1972, who have qualified for the honor. In the fall, Colin was named a semifinalist. At the time, he had to keep the news to himself and his parents, Cameron and Diane, for a few weeks before telling anyone. This time, he heard the news a month earlier than National Merit usually announces finalists because the company wanted to help students applying to colleges with rolling admissions. In his softspoken, low key manner, Colin admitted to feeling excited about the fabulous honor. I am excited about it because I realize its a pretty big accomplishment, Colin said. Not many people get to be a finalist. Less than 1% of the 1.5 million students who took the test become finalists. They represent the top 15,000 students who took it. Once notified of becoming semifinalists, the 32,000 students filled out an application and wrote an essay. National Merit will give 2,500 scholarships of $2,500 each. Colleges that sponsor National Merit Scholarship Corporation will also give scholarships to students who enroll at their institutions. And about 5,000 more commended students will get scholarships from companies (such as UPS) connected to National Merit. Colin is hoping to hear in another month whether or not he is accepted to his top choice school, Duke University. He interviewed with an alumnus. His father went there. Colin likes Duke because the liberal artsy engineering program will allow him to explore many topics, rather than just engineering. Ideally he would like to make medicines to cure people in the future because biology and chemistry are his favorite topics. He wants to learn about engineering but not get locked into it before graduating from college. His backup schools are Swarthmore, Lehigh and Brown. Colin has taken advantage of learning music in the QCSD program, from elementary through high school. He started school at Tohickon Valley and transferred to Pfaff in fourth grade when the new building opened. He went to Milford Middle School. In high school he has played euphonium in the marching and jazz bands and sings with the Mens Ensemble and Varsity Singers. He was selected to All State Band in his junior year. He also performed in both musicals. He takes vocal lessons. In his first semester this year, he took Math 23 (Calculus 3) at Lehigh University. Now hes spending that time with Choral Director Jonathan Lechner to learn how to conduct. Colin will conduct the choir during its June 3 Pops Concert at Strayer. Whats not to say about Colin? Mr. Lechner said. What a high achieving, responsible, mature young man. Hes a pleasure to work with. Hes a great kid from a great family. As secretary of the QCHS National Honor Society, Colin is helping to organize the group members as they fan out to elementary schools next week for Read Across America. Colin initially practiced for the SAT by taking it in 7th grade through the Johns Hopkins Talent Search. He said all his reading has helped him develop a good vocabulary. He credits his

parents reading and the fact that they read to him when he was little for getting him started. All the Fowler children are well read and high academic achievers. His older brother Kenny attends St. Lawrence University. Brother Trevor is a QCHS freshman and sister Sadie is an 8th grader at Milford. A voracious reader, Colin is reading Macbeth and 1984 for English class. He loves Stephen King novels. And hes enjoying the Game of Thrones series because the characters are well developed. The stories are fun because there is so much going on at the same time.

A Doggy Daycare Day is a cute story written from the point of view of Mitzi Jo. Mitzi Jo is a leader in her own family as well as the Doggy Daycare group. She tells all the dogs about the rules when they come to the daycare and then helps her friends follow them. All of the dogs at the daycare have different personalities and the reader gets to see what the day is like from their perspective. You get an idea of what happens in a dogs mind, too. The reader follows Mitzi Jo and her doggy friends as they chase invading squirrels, help dogs calm down, share toys, and much more in this fully illustrated book! I couldnt wait to find out more about Mitzi Jo! Mitzi Jo and Momma Jean let me ask them some interview questions. Erik: Thank you both for letting me ask you some interview questions! Mitzi Jo, whats it like running a doggy daycare, and of course, having Momma Jean help you? Mitzi Jo: I love having a purpose in my life. I am a very social dog and enjoy meeting all the new canines that come to play. Being the leader of our family pack of dogs means I have to explain the rules to all the visiting dogs. Erik: It sounds like you have a lot of responsibilities! It must be very interesting being part of a Doggy Daycare. What inspired you to write the book, A Doggy Daycare Day? Mitzi Jo:While I was greeting a new playmate, Momma Jean noticed how well our family of dogs accept new friends. She thought this is no different than human children learning to play together and accepting each other on a playground. She wanted me to share with the human children how much nicer it is to accept each other and use that positive peer pressure to learn to accept each other and our differences. We have a total of five books written, but only the first one is in print. In one of our books, we have a blind dog and a crippled dog and the other dogs dont make fun of them but instead help them through the yard. Erik: I think you are right! The message in your book, to accept each other, is a great one! Mitzi Jo, have you, or another dog in your immediate family, ever not gotten along with one of the dogs who came for a day? If so, what did you and/or Momma Jean do? Mitzi Jo: Momma Jean usually starts with me to be the first greeting dog. She says if they dont like me they wont like the others. Well, we had a Boston Terrier show up one day and he walked in with his human and went to ATTACK me! He sat there on the end of his leash staring at me. I wouldnt even look at him so Momma Jean noticed he was a bully

and told his human he couldnt stay. My human knows to watch my body language to understand what I am feeling. Erik: It is a good thing Momma Jean knows you so well! Momma Jean, when did you decide to start a doggy daycare? What is the

A Doggy Daycare Day By L.J. Burns, Illustrated by Andrea Vitali 28 pages ages 9+, Published by CreateSpace 2012

most important thing you have learned in this business? Momma Jean: Thank you Erik for asking me a question, too. I had worked with packs of dogs as a studio animal trainer in Hollywood. The dogs were always glad when I came to work because I would get them out in the yard to play and run with each other. They were always more content after a little playtime. When I moved to Pennsylvania in 2005 I wanted to spend more time with my dogs and offer other families with dogs the chance to let their dogs play too. Dogs can learn from other dogs just like children learn from each other Erik: Mitzi Jo, I read on your blog that Momma Jean is a professional animal trainer and you get to work in commercials! Is that hard to do? Whats the best thing you taught Momma Jean? Mitzi Jo: Grabbing all the attention in the room is not difficult for me at all. I love it. I have trained my human to realize that if she wants me to do anything special and on her command then I need to have a dog cookie. Humans work better when they get a paycheck and so do dogs. I told her my dog cookie is my paycheck. Thank you for the opportunity to speak my mind. Thank you Mitzi Jo and Momma Jean!

April Showers Bring May Flowers. Mayflowers Bring Pilgrims.

Pennridge Top Techs Compete in Dealer Association Competition

Upper Bucks County Technical School/ Pennridge students Dominick Rosanelli and Ian Jones recently competed in The Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Competition at Northampton Community College. UBCTS students competed against seven area career and technical centers in eight technical areas that included: engine measurement, brake measurement, basic electrical, wave form interpretation, electrical wiring repair, tire balance and wear diagnosis, info retrieval and alignment. Five local Ford dealerships provided vehicles for the competition. The Ford dealership that sponsored the UBCTS team was Faulkner Ciccoa, Souderton, PA, Mr. Vincent Luppino of Toyota acted as the chief judge for the student competition. The first place winner, Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, will continue to the New York Auto Show in April and compete against auto technology students from across the nation. The first place winner, Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School, will continue to the New York Auto Show in April and compete against auto tech students from across the nation. The UBCTS Auto Technology program emphasizes the various phases in the technical knowledge and repair of automobiles. Students learn to locate and diagnose malfunctions in vehicles using digital instruments and on-board computer systems, make proper repairs or adjustments and make periodic inspections for preventive maintenance. Units of instruction include: engine, electrical, suspension, alignment, fuel systems, computerized fuel injection and ignition systems. This program has received national certification by NATEF. (National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation)

April 2014 Upper Bucks Free Press

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Adoptable Pets

Upper Bucks SPCA

Gabby has been at the Bucks County SPCAs Upper Bucks shelter for months waiting for someone to adopt her. She is a 6 year old female that came to the shelter as a stray. This curious and talkative girl would love to find a new home now that shes been spayed. Gabby likes to have everything her way, so being queen of the home would be best. She should do well with children of all ages. She is litter box trained and tested negative for feline leukemia. This cat is available at the Upper Bucks shelter in Quakertown. If you have questions about any of our pets, please call us at 267-347-4674. These fine companions are seeking their new forever homes at the Bucks County SPCAs Upper Bucks shelter located at 60 Reservoir Road, Quakertown. Call for more information, 267-347-4674 or visit our website at www.bcspca.org.

Training is Loving Your Dog,

(or an Easter Dinner We Wont Soon Forget)
I still have flash backs PTDS (Post Traumatic Dog Syndrome) from last years Easter family dinner. I invited the family over for a traditional holiday ham dinner. The strategically placed colorful plastic eggs were hidden all around the yard for my granddaughters Easter Egg Hunt. My girls looked so pretty in their new Easter outfits. The recently adopted family dog, Mizz Ziva, was introduced to my children and the granddaughters. Ziva was easily entertained by all the attention and petting from my family. The stove made the house smell wonderful. The table looked beautiful with the handed-down silverware and china from my mother-in-law. Fresh daffodils were placed on the pastel table cloth. Everything looked and felt like a Norman Rockwell painting. I placed Ziva, my happy and energetic fivemonth old pup, in her crate so she wouldnt be under foot while we ate our dinner. We gave grace then it was time to dig in. My soft-whimpering pup started whining. It quickly turned into obnoxious pay attention to me now! barking. With that first bite of ham, it was as if she turned into the Tasmanian devil. I tried to hold out, hoping Ziva would just settle. I was totally mortified with my new rescues lack of manners. All eyes at the table were on me. Not a peep was being uttered. The not-so-funny part was Ziva hadnt had time to learn any manners. What was I supposed to do? Dogs do things because they get something out of it! I knew that letting her out of the crate while she was barking would only reinforce the barking to get out of the crate in the future. To keep the peace, as quickly and quietly as possible I went over to the crate and let her out. I wasnt surprised to see that she was helping herself to all our dinner plates. There was a barrage of No! with synchronized plates in the air. Determined to enjoy my dinner while it was still warm, I got up from the table and put a leash on her. I stepped on the leash only giving her enough length so she could sit or lay down but most importantly not reach the table. She continued flailing like twoyear-old child having a tantrum. I took a deep breath in and I loudly exhaled out a couple of times (it can be contagious just like yawning). I gave a soft quiet cue for her to settle while giving her a light circular massage on specific pressure points (just below the vee on her chest and the top of her shoulders). To my surprise, she began to relax a little. As she began to chew on her bully stick, I gave her some more leash to see if she would continue to settle. We were able to make it all the way through to dessert without any more doggy drama. Im not sure how much love I felt for Ziva during that last Easter dinner. I cant believe its been a year since I adopted my sweet Ziva girl. Dogs dont come with manners; they have to be taught. Acknowledging good behavior is a really easy way to let your dog know you like something. I do know that training Ziva to have manners this past year has made her a lot easier to love now! MARION C. ONEIL CPDT-KA Is THE TRAINER AT AND OWNER OF MOLAssEs CREEK DOG TRAINING, LLC IN MILFORD TOWNsHIp, PA.

Miss Mabel is still in need! She is a sweet and loving pitty/mix who recently raised 10 puppies, and now needs a home of her own! She is wonderful with people and children, and does well with other dogs, just can be selective! She needs a loving home after doing such a great job caring for her babies...could it be you? Fergus is an adorable Chihuahua/mix with special needs. He has behavior issues and anxiety with new people, but is a love to his family, and is the best snuggler! He is about 1-2 years old, and is a tiny guy at only about 10lbs. Please call for more info! These adorable pups are available for adoption through Harleys Haven. Call 215-527-7432 to arrange to meet them. Thank you so much, and we look forward to working with you!!

Harleys Haven

The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. - MARK TWAIN

Heartworm Prevention
Does my dog really need that?
So what are heartworms anyway? Lets start with that. Heartworms are a type of parasitic worm that literally live in the blood vessels of the lungs and the heart, hence how they got their name. The worms themselves are just like any other parasite annoying, but what makes them serious and even deadly is their location. Living in the heart and the major vessels means they disrupt blood flow and cause changes to the heart, and at their worst can cause heart failure. Most commonly in a dog who has been infected you would see respiratory signs like coughing or wheezing, and/or heart disease signs like shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, or even episodes of collapse. What is most concerning about heartworms is how they are spread. Mosquitos, who are pesky enough themselves, are the culprit, and all it takes is ONE mosquito bite to spread them to your pet. Many people will say to me that their dog hardly goes outside, or they dont live in the woods, but you all get mosquito bites all summer, right? Well, so do our dogs! And a few warm days in the winter, and they are out again! The incidence of heartworms is not as high here in PA where we do have that nice winter to kill off most of our mosquito population, but we definitely still see heartworm positive dogs in the population that is not on preventatives. So what can we do? So here is the beautiful part! There are a number of very safe and incredibly effective preventatives out there that can (and will) protect your dog. Most of these cost less than $10 per month on smaller dogs, and that is a small price to pay for peace of mind! A really nice thing about most of the preventatives is that they also protect against other parasites like roundworms, hookworms, and many more. So you can effectively kill two birds with one stone by giving one easy, inexpensive medication once a month! Briefly, lets talk about cats can they get heartworm too? Yes, they definitely can! Cats are just as susceptible, and it is widely agreed in the veterinary world that heartworms are incredibly under-diagnosed in our feline friends. What makes them different is that they are more resistant to the worms reproducing, so often they may only have 1-2 worms infecting them, and they are more able to cope and fight them off themselves. The problem in cats comes when they are more severely affected, because there is NO treatment for them. Physical signs of heartworm disease in cats can look like other common illnesses such as asthma, so it is often missed! There are also preventatives for cats that can be used on a monthly basis, and these are definitely recommended too, especially for cats that go outside! There is a simple blood test that is done in less than 10 minutes to diagnose heartworm disease, but the hard part is treatment. It is an expensive treatment that can be dangerous, and spans 1-2 months with bouts of hospitalization! And thats just a brief overview it is far safer, easier, and way less expensive to just protect them once a month, so why wouldnt you? Discuss it with your veterinarian to decide what works for you! DR. MEHAFFEY AND PARTNER DR. JEN HELLER OWN AND OPERATE THE NEW PENNRIDGE ANImAL HOSPITAL ON RIDGE ROAD IN PERKASIE AND CAN BE REACHED AT 267-272-9996. THEY ALSO STARTED AND CURATE HARLEYS HAVEN DOG RESCUE.

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Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

Local Facebook Challenge Benefits Bucks SPCA

Student Artist Honored

Kevin Roberts of The Laundry Room in Doylestown and Nick Hance of Reenhanced in Quakertown recently donated $500 to the Bucks County SPCA's Upper Bucks shelter. As he does every year, Kevin challenged his Facebook friends on his birthday by offering to donate one dollar for each "like." Nick decided to kick the challenge up a notch and offered to match Kevins donation. SPCA manager Melissa Frank was happy to accept the donation checks from the two friends.
PHOTO BY MICHELE BUONO

Richland Elementarys Alexandra BevinXenelis was one of 19 student artists honored this week at the Bucks County Intermediate Units annual art reception. She, her sister Teddy and her parents all attended. Her art teacher is Jen Robison but Strayer Middle School art teacher Kate Fetterolf attended the ceremony as the QCSD Arts Advisory Council representative. I was so proud of her and all of the artists from across Bucks County, Mrs. Fetterolf said. It is a powerful event that clearly meant the world to the young artists! I have really enjoyed serving on the Arts Advisory Council this year. SUBMITTED BY ERICA STEIN

School Food Drive Nets over 6,000 Pounds for Local Food Pantry
United Way's "Operation Helping Hands" Food Drive took place on March 13 and March 20. The Quakertown Schools collected for the Quakertown Food Pantry. Many volunteers turned out on to help unload the trucks where the boxes were taken into the pantry and weighed. A total of 6,229.5 pounds of groceries was collected on March 13. Quakertown Elementary 1,287.6 pounds, Tohickon Elementary 416.1 pounds, Trumbauersville Elementary 599.0 pounds. Strayer 1,881.9 pounds, Neidig Elementary 514.6 pounds, Richland Elementary 250.8 pounds, Pfaff Elementary 533.6 pounds, Quakertown Freshman Center 745.9 pounds. On March 20, volunteers again came to the Quakertown food Pantry to help unload the trucks for the last two schools. Quakertown High School donations weighed in with 386.1 pounds and Milford Middle School 426.9 pounds making a total of 7042.5 pounds. Many thanks to all who helped make the food drive a huge success. Our thanks to the many volunteers who came out on those to days. The Quakertown Food Pantry appreciates all of you. SUBMITTED BY LIZ ONEILL

Spring has Arrived!

It is finally here, the sunshine and warm weather. At this point, those of us who have been feeling bummed out and depressed can now come out of the shadows and begin to smile and laugh again. It amazes me how many people, (not all of my clients) I have talked to in the past four months that have been affected by the long cold winter we have had and are so happy that Spring is here. In a strange way they feel alive and hopeful and optimistic about their life. Even those who do not struggle with depression in their lives found that this winter had a negative depressive energy and impact on them. What does all of this mean? Well, it means that we have an opportunity to move forward and embrace all of the goodness that surrounds us and to begin to take risks and do what we could not do this winter because we lacked the energy and motivation. It is time to work on those goals we set for ourselves in the beginning of the year. It is believing that all things are possible if we want to feel better. It is never too late to alter our thinking and change our attitudes and behaviors. Sometimes we need the support and encouragement from others to get us motivated and wanting to move forward. As with anything if we keep things simple, we are more likely to follow through and achieve whatever it is that we are trying to accomplish. Many times, we are all ready at the end result and forget that we have to do the work in between to be successful. When we think about the in between that is usually when we start to feel overwhelmed and the thought of our end goal doesnt seem possible. It is about being simple and realistic. Since Spring has arrived for those who have been wanting to get in shape all winter can now go outside and go for a walk or run. Some of us may regret not being able to be ahead of the game with our promise to work out. My suggestion is to take your time. Walk for 10-15 minutes every other day and slowly work to 30-45 minutes 4-5 days a week. It may take two to three months, but if you take your time, you are more likely to be successful. You will also be less likely to injure yourself if you listen to your body and take your time. You will know instinctively when you can increase amounts and frequency. If your mind is cluttered with emotional and mental stuff, talk to a friend. If you can take a walk outside or sit outside at a local restaurant, or in the park it would be quite beneficial. Being in the fresh air is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If your friend is not available, grab a good book or write in a journal outside. Take advantage of the sun and warm weather as much as you can it will truly lift your spirits and create positive feelings of well- being. My belief is that All persons are truly greater than they think they are. SUSAN V. BREWER IS A CERTIFIED LIFE COACH AND PSYCHOTHERAPIST IN THE UPPER BUCKS COUNTY AREA. SHE CAN BE REACHED AT 215-872-4219. VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.BALANCELIFE4U.COm.

April 2014 Upper Bucks Free Press

15

Upper Bucks Area Places of Worship

Christ Lutheran Church 1 Luther Lane, Trumbauersville 215-536-3193 Pastor: Carolann Hopke 9:00am Worship, 10:15 Sunday School Free Drive-in Movies Friday evenings June through August, Handicapped accessible, Family Friendly Church Grace Bible Fellowship Church 1811 Old Bethlehem Pike N., Quakertown 215-536-6096 grace@quakertownbfc.org www.quakertownbfc.org Pastor: Ron Kohl, Sr. Pastor September - May: 9am Sunday School for all ages, 10:10am Morning Worship Service, 6:30pm 2nd & 4th Sundays are small group meetings, 6:30pm 1st, 3rd, 5th Sundays Evening Worship Good News Church 424 Juniper Street, Quakertown 215-536-4393 Pastor: David Markey, Jr. Sunday service & childrens church 10:30am Wed. Bible Study 7:30pm. Friendly, Biblebased, Christ-centered, Spirit-led Evangel Assembly of God 401 Arch Street, Perkasie 215-453-1565 www.perkasieag.org Pastor: Rev. Gary Saul Where Gods Love Changes Lives MorningStar Moravian Church 234 S. Main Street, Coopersburg 610-282-1908 coopmoravian@aol.com Pastor: Lance Fox Sunday services 10:00am. Small, friendly Protestant church. Community mission: Serving free dinners once per month. All are welcome. Call for information. Good Shepherd Church (Episcopal) 1634 Hilltown Pike, Hilltown 215-822-3930 Pastor: The Rev. Catherine Kerr 10:00am Sunday Eucharist St. Johns Lutheran Church 4 South Main Street, Richlandtown 215-536-5027 secretary@sjrpa.org www. sjrpa.org Pastor: Susan Sosnin Sunday morning worship at 9:30am with holy communion first and third Sundays of the month. Sunday school 8:30am Ridge Valley United Church of Christ 905 Allentown Road, Sellersville 215-257-7244 rvucc.pastor@verizon.net www.ridgevalleyucc.org Pastor: Rev. Steve Myren We are a vibrant, welcoming Family of Faith. Worship: Sundays 9:30am. Ridge Valley: Growing Together in Gods Love. The Gathering (at the Barn) 24 Greentop Road, Sellersville (215) 407-9816 www.thegatheringchristianfellowship.com St. Pauls Lutheran Church of Applebachsville 837 Old Bethlehem Road, Quakertown 215-536-5789 stpauls@netcarrier.com www.quakertown.net/stpauls Pastor: Rev. David Heckler We believe in sharing Gods love in joyful service. Come and see. All are welcome. St. Matthews Lutheran Church 3668 Ridge Road, Perkasie 215-795-2965 office@kellerschurch.org www.kellerschurch.org Pastor: Robert E. Mitman Worship 7:45 & 10:15am, Sunday School 9am, Koinonia Cafe 8:30pm, Holy Communion 1st & 3rd Sunday, Childrens Church 2nd & 4th Sunday Emmanuel Episcopal Church 560 S. Main Street Quakertown, PA 18951 215-536-3040 emmanuelchurch11@yahoo.com www.emmanuelquakertown.org Sunday services at 8am and 10am, Visitors and new members always welcome! Church of the Incarnation (Anglican-Episcopal) 44 S. 8th Street, Quakertown 215-538-3787 Ardores@verizon.net www.IncarnationQuakertown.org Pastor: Most Rev. Thomas J. Kleppinger Traditional worship, Biblical faith Sunday 10:30am, Wednesday 10:00am First United Methodist Church 501 Market Street, Perkasie 215-257-4626 fumcperkasie@verizon.net www.fumcperkasie@verizon.net Pastor: Steward Warner Mission: Share Gods love, Make and nurture disciples of Jesus Christ, positively impact our community and world. St. Johns Lutheran Church 19 South 10th Street, Quakertown 215-536-3593 stjohnsquak@verizon.net www.stjohnsquak.org Pastor: Ray Miller Sunday Worship 8 and 10:30am, Sunday School 9:15am. Welcoming, Reaching Out, Serving. Elevator available Trinity Great Swamp UCC 9150 Spinnerstown Road, Spinnerstown 215-679-7710 tgsucc@verizon.net www.tgsucc.org Pastor: David R. Ellis / Matt Gorkos Sunday worship services 8am (Communion 1st Sunday of month) and 10:30am, 9:15 Sunday School classes for all ages (PreKAdult) & family activities Trinity Lutheran Church 102 N. Hellertown Avenue, Quakertown 215-536-4345 www.trinityquakertown.org Pastor: Lynette R. Chapman 9 am traditional services, 10:15am Sunday School, 11am contemporary service, Handicapped Accessible, Family Friendly Church, Dynamic Music Ministry, Kidspiration Services. Holy Spirit Anglican Church 1133 W. Orvilla Road, Hatfield 215-453-7452 rtufton@verizon.net www.holyspiritanglicanhatfield.org Pastor: Rev. Robert Tufton We are a traditional conservative Evangelical Christian church. Pennridge Christian Fellowship 720 Blooming Glen Road, Blooming Glen 215-257-7309 kallebach@pennridgecf.org www.pennridgecf.org Pastor: Thomas Vargis Sunday worship 10:30am, Sunday School after song service for infants to age 12. Wed evenings 7pm with prayer, crossroads youth and (Sept-April) boys and girls clubs. Everyone is welcome. Richland Friends Meeting (Quaker) Main St at Mill Rd & Park Ave, Quakertown 215-538-7555 Clerks: Kathy Redding, Jack Schick Absolute freedom of thought and worship is our faith and practice over 300 years in Quakertown. Join us 10:30am Sundays Morning Star Fellowship 429 S. 9th Street, Quakertown 215-529-5422 Pastor: John Decker www.mstarqtown.org Services at 9am & 11am, Childrens Ministry during all services, Student ministry 6pm, Celebrate Recovery Weds 7pm, Divorce Care Thurs 7pm, EastWest Cafe open before & after services. Free coffee. St. Pauls United Church of Christ 104 Green Street, Sellersville 215-257-7268 stacey@stpaulsucc.net www.stpaulsucc.net Pastor: Rev. Patti Thomas 8am Rejoice & Praise Worship in Parlor, 9am Sunday School (all ages), 10:15am Worship in Sanctuary, Crossroads 1st Sunday of month 9am in Fellowship Hall

Essay Winners Recognized

Members of the Fleet Reserve Association, located in Willow Grove recognized winners of their essay contest at St. Isidore School: (L-R) Rebecca Homer, Caitlin Buehrer, Molly Walton and Mathew Walton. Also pictured are Principal Robin Conboy and Father Riegler. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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Upper Bucks Free Press April 2014

Richland Township Does Not Apologize, Elects to Pay $10,000 Settlement to Farmer
To the Editor: I am an 85-year old U.S. Army veteran who served in an anti-aircraft battalion during the Korean War. I am a proud citizen who believes in American justice. I have much respect for the good and decent law enforcement officers who serve our community. I have never been charged with, much less convicted of, any crime in my entire life. My family has owned a farm in the Quakertown area since 1919. For the past 30 years, my wife and I have personally farmed our 52 acres, and have delivered our vegetables - including asparagus, sweet corn, string beans, potatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini - to Gridas Farm Produce in Richlandtown, using our own farm trucks, and without incident. However, on November 20, 2010, while driving my - farm -truck with load of cauliflower and broccoli, I was pulled over by Officer Brian J. Hendrzak of the Richland Township Police Department, and issued a citation for operating a vehicle without registration - despite the fact that I had a large orange PENNSYLVANIA FARM VEHICLE REGISTRATION EXEMPTION, issued by PennDOT, prominently taped on the drivers side door. Even though my truck was clearly marked, FARM TRUCK and I. had a REGISTRATION EXEMPTION sticker which I pointed out to him. Officer Hendrzak cited me nonetheless - and treated me like I was a criminal. Thereafter, I appealed repeatedly both to the Richland Township Police Department and to Officer Hendrzak to do the right thing, but he steadfastly refused to drop the charges. As a result, I was forced to hire a lawyer to defend me - and 5 months later, I was cleared and acquitted of these baseless charges by Judge Wallace H. Bateman, Jr., in Doylestown. In the meantime, however, I lost significant time from my business and wasnt able to harvest my vegetables for sale - and had to pay for a lawyer, for court costs, and for gas to get back and forth. Also, because I am a conscientious and upstanding person, I had nightmares and couldnt sleep because I felt that my civil rights had been violated. I lived in actual fear of going on the road and being harassed, and considered quitting the farm business. This caused me great distress. I felt so strongly about this injustice that I sued Officer Hendrzak and Richland Township - and was paid more than $10,000.00 for my damages. However, what I wanted most was an apology and the disciplining or dismissal of this officer. I believe that Officer Hendrzak engaged in willful misconduct which is unbecoming to a police officer, and I am concerned about similar abuses he may have committed against other members of the public. Police officers are hired to serve and protect the public not to maliciously prosecute and harass innocent and law abiding citizens. It is very upsetting that public time and precious resources would be wasted because of this officers actions. This is not the kind of police officer who should be representing the people of Richland Township. The people deserve better. Sincerely, Phillip Grida Milford Township

Local produce farmer, Phillip Grida, 85, and lawyer Eric Marttila show the PennDOT issued Farm Truck registration and a copy of the $10,000 check Richland Township elected to pay Mr. Grida in lieu of an apology and disciplinary action for a Township police officer. Grida says he was treated abusively by Officer Hendrzak during a traffic stop for driving without a vehicle registration and for some time afterward. Grida was detained and issued a citation even though his registration was proven valid. According to Grida, township police officials, the Richland Township Board of Supervisors, and the local court would not rescind the citation. I was treated like a criminal, says Grida, I was abusively spoken to all along and had my concern repeatedly dismissed by the supervisors, police, and even the local judge. Grida points out that his issue was also repeatedly misreported in the minutes of meetings he attended with the supervisors and the police liaison board. Gridas erroneous citation was later rescinded by a Bucks County Judge as invalid. But, says Grida, the damage has already been done. Im a citizen. I dont deserve to be treated this way. Nobody does! The people of Richland [Township] need to pay attention to what goes on with their public servants. I spent a lot of money and time defending myself against what was obviously a false charge from the beginning. Its been very stressful. Its really the principle of the matter. I didnt want the money. I wanted accountability and an apology. Im not the only one.

BY ERICA STEIN James Nagy-Dorn was named the February Student of the Month at Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS) and is enrolled in the Graphic Communications program. The QCHS senior has been a UBCTS student for three years. Graphic Communications was a natural fit for James as he has always been artistically inclined and loves highdefinition games. James has earned First Honors every marking period since he started at UBCTS. He has been involved in SkillsUSA for the last three years. He was voted Class Officer for Graphic Communications as a sophomore, an Ambassador as a junior, and the Head Ambassador during his senior year. He has enjoyed the tech school experience. He photographs various UBCTS program areas to do graphics work for them. The student leader has become a face of the school. His favorite type of work is live work for clients because it gives him actual real life experience of what the field will entail. After graduation, James plans to attend Bucks Community College with the intention of transferring to Drexel University. He would ideally like to pursue computer graphics and programming.

UBCTS Names Student of the Month

The Upper Bucks Free Press invites Letters to the Editor and editorial submissions from residents in our coverage area about topics of interest and/or of importance to readers in our community. Letters are published at the sole discretion of the publisher and are subject to editing. Letters are accepted by US Mail and by e-mail and must include writers name, phone number, and address for verification purposes. Opinions expressed by the letters authors are their own and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher nor anyone else.

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DaVincis Last Supper Portrayal at Trinity Lutheran Church

For the fourteenth year now, men at Trinity Lutheran Church on Hellertown Avenue in Quakertown will offer a live portrayal of the Last Supper. Each of the men creates their own response the Jesus statement that I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me. After two months of study about the biblical character they portray the thirteen men will bring this event to action. The men get into the character of the disciple and say what they think would have been said on the night when Jesus announces the betrayal. Through this act of faith the men have built a tremendous bond with each other and want to share this with the community. This emotional and live portrayal can leave a lasting impression on anyone who sees it. Dennis Hallman stated, We hope that people will view it as a truly moving experience causing them to think about their own faith and relationship with God. Director and participant Ray Fox said, several of the men have participated every year but we also have three new people this year. Everyone has worked very hard. It helps to realize that, just as we are everyday people, so were the twelve disciples. The portrayal and live action will begin at 7:30 on Maundy Thursday, April 17. The church is located at 102 North Hellertown Avenue in Quakertown. All are invited, everyone is welcome.