patching...
Welcome back, Patch Blogger!

News

Friday, May 24, 2013

Graduation, Criminal Mischief and Bears Top This Week's Regional News

Read the top headlines from Patches across Bucks County.

Bucks County Community College Celebrates 47th CommencementMore than 800 BCCC students graduated Thursday from Bucks County Community College during a ceremony at the Newtown Campus. Read the full story on Newtown Patch.  Fanny Chapman Pool to Open Saturday: There are still memberships available and space in swim lessons. A family membership is $420; individual memberships are $210 or $225. Get the details on Doylestown Patch. Graduation Project Revisions OK'd for Tennent: The Centennial School Board recently approved graduation project changes beginning with the William Tennent High School class of 2014. Read all about the changes on Upper Southampton Patch. Man, 72, Accused of Criminal Mischief at Mall: Other retail-related incidents …

Site Dedicated for Global War on Terror Memorial

The planned memorial will rest at the courtyard of the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown and honor the memories of Bucks County soldiers who were killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Beneath a dark cloud of a stormy Friday morning, there was a sense of optimism amongst the guests, honorees and dignitaries gathered under a tent in the courtyard of the Bucks County Courthouse. They had been invited by the Doylestown VFW Post 175 to celebrate the dedication of the site where the planned Global War on Terror Memorial will be constructed, sharing space with other memorials dedicated to World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. With the ceremony complete, the five year-long journey to establish a permanent marker that commemorates the service of Bucks County soldiers has come another step closer to the finish line. "We are going to make the people of Bucks County aware of the incredible sacrifices these warriors have…

A 'C'mon, Man!' For Toyota

Looking for something other than a Camry from one of the world's largest automakers.

My car’s rear seats don’t fold down. They did on my previous car, which was a coupe version of my current car, but my car’s first owner didn’t pony up the money for the cold-weather package … so now I’m stuck with a small trunk and no headlamp washers.  First world problems, I know. And because my seats don’t fold down, whenever I want to go skiing, or surfing, or just carry a long stick in my vehicle, I’ve got to run to my mother. She drives a 2001 Toyota RAV4. It’s cavernous, can plow through 2 feet of snow with its gas-guzzling, always-on 4-wheel drive system and 70-series tires, and is probably the slowest vehicle I’ve ever driven. I’m always welcome to drive it when I need to take a tortuous trip to Ikea and I love it.  But, being a …

Yard Sale Roundup May 25-26

Check out who has the best bargains in town.

It’s the perfect time to put your feet to the pavement—or grass—in search of the best yard sale deals around. Here's a starting point for sales scheduled this weekend in our area compiled from gsalr.com and the Patch events calendar. Click here for more information on how to post your yard sale on Patch so we can include it in this weekly roundup. 1048 Orchid Ave., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday: Baby swing, beveled mirror, bicycles, Christmas dishes, back packs, handbags, luggage pieces and more. 3257 Farragut Court, 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. 23 Snowball Drive, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday: Dishes, house items, tools, children's toys, children's barbie, 4wheeler, adult bikes, child's tricycle, drum equipment, guitar equipment, leaf blowe, weed …

State News

House Committee to Scrutinize Campaign Ads from Nonprofits

Some want to know if other groups are also operating outside Pennsylvania’s nonprofit campaign finance rules.

By Eric Boehm | PA Independent HARRISBURG – Nonprofit groups exploiting a loophole in Pennsylvania’s campaign finance laws will be subject to legislative scrutiny. State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, chairman of the House State Government Committee, said Thursday he would hold a hearing to determine whether some politically active nonprofit organizations are overstepping state law and whether the state’s enforcement of campaign finance laws is lacking. One such group last fall targeted three members of the committee with advertisements, but it did not disclose financial information to the state because it’s a “social welfare nonprofit.” Metcalfe said the hearing, scheduled here June 5, would focus on how Pennsylvania’s campaign finance …

Drone Protest Set for Horsham Air Guard Station

Four peace activists groups will protest Saturday at the site of the drone command center in Horsham.

With the message of "stop it before it starts," more than 50 people are expected to stage a peaceful protest at the future site of a drone command center on Saturday.  Organized by Robert Smith of the Brandywine Peace Community, Saturday's anti-war protest at the Horsham Air Guard Station is part of a multi-pronged approach aimed at stopping the federal government from establishing a remotely piloted aircraft mission locally.  Besides this weekend's protest, Smith told Patch that the "campaign" also features outreach to state and federal elected officials, Gov. Tom Corbett and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, the entity hiring 250 plus employees to ready for the Oct. 1 drone center installation. "It's all just beginning," Smith said of…

Comment_arrow

Mike Shortall

1:25 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013

Well, Patrick, it's very difficult to refute supposition as yours. My understanding is that the jobs will include positions requiring a bit more technical skill and - I would imagine - the pay scale that's commensurate with those skills. But I don't have any better access to the official job descriptions than you do.   more ›

Board Appoints New Principal for High School

Stephen Brandt previously served as principal for Roxborough High School. He was appointed to Bensalem High School principal at the school board's May 22 meeting.

The following was provided by the Bensalem Township School District: The Bensalem Township Board of School Directors at their May 22, 2013 meeting approved the appointment of Stephen T. Brandt to the position of high school principal.   Brandt received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and his Master’s in Education from Cabrini College.  He also received his Pennsylvania Administrative Certification from Cabrini College and earned his Superintendent Letter of Eligibility at St. Joseph’s University.  He is currently a Doctoral candidate in the College of Education – Literacy and Learners at Temple University.  His proposed dissertation focuses on Student Transition from High School to College.   Brandt has extensive knowledge and …

Zero Tolerance for Seat Belt Violations Over Memorial Day Weekend

Drivers can expect roving patrols, safety checkpoints and special attention to seat belt compliance over Memorial Day Weekend.

PennDOT will partner with more than 600 law enforcement agencies and the Pennsylvania State Police to participate in a national “Click It or Ticket” seat-belt enforcement effort through June 9. The effort will focus largely on nighttime enforcement, using traffic safety checkpoints and roving patrols. Police will also use Traffic Enforcement Zones, which combine roving patrol and checkpoint tactics on roadways with high numbers of unbuckled crashes. According to PennDOT data, 503 people died last year in unbelted crashes, a decrease from 509 such fatalities in 2011. The total number of crashes in which people were not wearing seat belts also decreased to 15,528, compared with 16,298 in 2011. The majority of enforcement will occur at night…

Comment_arrow

Ron Beitler

3:06 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013

Most states have seatbelt laws because feds threatened to pull highway funding if they didn't fall in line. Same reason we have uniform 21 drinking laws. Last holdouts Jersey and Louisiana caved in cause of pressure to lose federal highway funds.   more ›

Bucks County Community College Celebrates 47th Commencement

More than 800 BCCC students graduated Thursday from Bucks County Community College during a ceremony at the Newtown Campus.

More than 800 students graduated from Bucks County Community College during a commencement ceremony Thursday at the Newtown Campus. It was the college's 47th annual commencement and featured speaker James Bennett, an award-winning artist and illustrator who graduated from BCCC in 1983.   “They say that the most frightening moment in an artist’s life is when he’s about to begin a painting, and he starts by looking at that big, blank canvas,” Bennett told graduates and their families. “Your future is like that big, blank canvas. It can be positively frightening. But it can also be the most exciting and gratifying experience of your life, when you begin to fill that  space with your own combination of lines, colors and ideas, and most …

Thursday, May 23, 2013

New Homes For Sale in Bensalem This Week

Find homes for sale in Bensalem on this page every week, from our partners at Zillow.

More Bensalem Real Estate Listings >>

Got a Hot Tip?