The Fourths Be With You

Fourth Friday through July 4th

Next Friday, June 26th, is FOURTH FRIDAY DOWNTOWN. Here's the schedule:

Noon-2 pm, Courthouse Square - Food and other vendors, plus live music by the CE Band and fun lunchtime activities. Brush up your golf putting. Play a quick game of chess. Get a massage! (only 50 cents per minute)
5-6 pm, Jus' Java (317 Swede) - Meet The Editor/Reporter. Stan Huskey and Oscar Gamble from The Times Herald will be on hand to chat with customers about what's happening in Norristown.
5-7 pm, Sessano Cafe & Deli (Airy and Swede) - Award winning sandwiches meets group art. Munch while you paint a masterpiece.
5-9 pm, Banh Mi Bar & Bistro (31 W Main) will offer a special 3-course meal and live music provided by the CE Band. Seatings at 5 and 7 pm. $25 
7-10 pm, Jazz on Cherry Street (216 Cherry) features Cedric A. Napoleon & Friends (former members of Pieces of a Dream jazz and R&B band) $15 Tickets online at this link.  
8-10 pm, Las Palmas Del Sur (10 W Main) - Mexican cuisine and live Mexican music. No cover charge.
8-10 pm, Jus' Java - Open Mic. Café food, gourmet coffee. No cover charge.
8-11 pm, Salsa on Cherry Street (216 Cherry, upstairs) - Lesson from 8-9 pm ($7) and free dancing from 9-11 pm
10-midnight, Almaz Cafe (14 W Main) - Ethiopean/American cuisine, drink specials and a DJ.

On Saturday, June 27th, from 8:30 am to 2 pm, Men of Excellence is hosting a FREE Football Clinic for students grades K-8 at Norristown Area High School. FREE lunch will be provided. For information, call 484-636-6566 or email dmilligan@nmoe19401.org

Also on Saturday, June 27th, from noon to 5 pm, CADCOM will celebrate 49 years (!) in Norristown at their Community Day at Oak St (Simmons) Park. Basketball tournament, vendors, health screenings, food , music, and children's activities. For info, contact Heather Lewis at 610-277-6363 x166. Come out and support CADCOM. They do a lot for Norristown. And this is going to be a fun day.

Sunday, June 28th, at 3 pm (cocktail hour at 2 pm), "Sounds of the Symphony"--A Unique Afternoon Concert featuring world-renowned cellist Steve Kramer & friends, at Theatre Horizon, to raise much-needed funding to refurbish and reopen the Centre Theater and the Centre Theater Music School. General Admission $35. More information at this link or TICKETS at this link  (Please come out and support Centre Theater and the birth of Norristown as a classical music center in the county. I've always felt embarrassed that little Ambler could have a first rate orchestra while we, the county seat, has no venue for classical at all. Time to add a new type of music to our repetoire, Norristown.)

Sunday, June 28th, 7 pm, Concerts In The Park features the Beach Bumz at the Elmwood Park Bandshell. FREE. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Food Available.

Monday, June 29th, 11:30 am to 1 pm. the Norristown Family Center is hosting an Open House and Community Meeting at 1314 DeKalb Street.

Monday and Tuesday, June 29-30, from 3 -7 pm, the Norristown Small Business Assistance Center in conjunction with The Greater Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and The Enterprise Center are hosting a small business expo at the Montgomery COunty Intermediate Unit, 2 W Lafayette, 1st Floor.

Monday June 29 through August 7th, Carver Community Center will host a free “Young Innovators Program” for 30 middle school children. They'll have the opportunity to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Participants will receive a healthy breakfast and lunch and an opportunity to swim at the pool for a discounted price.

Registration is open for ACPPA's Summer Dance Camp for 8-14 year-olds. From Monday, June 29th through Thursday, July 2nd, from 6-8 pm, students will have the opportunity to do ballet, hip hop/street jazz, and learn about stage makeup and theatre performance/etiquette. Camp is just $60 per student (members get a discount). You can sign up in the office, or through ACPPA's website.

Friday, July 3rd, Christ UCC Church at Noble and W Marshall will host a FREE Independence Eve Concert at 7 pm in their parking lot (indoors if it rains). On the bill is N. Cameron Chandler and his gorgeous baritone voice singing everything from gospel to opera to standards. Also on the bill is The Song Sheets blending beautifully as they perform folk, pop, musical music and others. Bring a lawn chair. Food will be sold, benefiting UCC's youth programs.

Here is the schedule of activities for Saturday, July 4th:

7:30 am  Registration begins for the 5K Run at Norristown Area High School. Race begins 8:30am at Norristown Farm Park, proceeds go to Mission Kids.
10:30am - Parade begins at Airy & Swede Streets. The route is Airy to Astor to Marshall to Stanbridge to Sterigere to Elmwood Park. Pick a spot along the route, wave flags and be amazed. All for FREE.
NOON - Entertainment begins at the Bandshell in the Park (plus food, vendors and kid's activities)
12:30pm - Old School Band
6:30pm - Allen Reynolds Band (some notices say Sofa Kings, but I'm pretty sure it's AR)
8:00pm - Fireworks
For more info call 610-270-0421.

From now through July 31, the Norristown Business Association is running a photo contest. You can win a free dinner for two at the small business Norristown restaurant of your choice or freebies from other local restaurants. All you have to do is take pictures of yourself and friends/family eating out at our restaurants. Details can be found at this link. Fourth Friday is a great time to start.

Enjoy the next couple of weeks. I hope to be back on the Diary by the 2nd week of July.

Events for the Next Week

I need to take a little hiatus from the Diary for the next week or two, so today, I'll list the events coming up next week. Tomorrow, I'll list the events of June 26 through July 4th. However, since Norristown is a place where events are frequently posted with only a few days notice, I'm bound to miss something. You can help if you're on social media by sharing as much event info as you can with other N-towners.

The Norristown.org calendar lists the Carver Center Opening for every Friday in June, which is what messed me up last week. Erroneous recurring dates has been a real problem with the town calendar. Please, can someone at Municipal Hall find out why and fix it? For everyone else, I'll mark the events I got solely from the Norristown.org site--you might do well to double check those events before showing up.

Tonight (Thursday) at 6 pm at Municipal Hall is the presentation of the 2013 Audit. (Norristown.org)

Tomorrow (Friday) -  FREE breast cancer screening at Rep. Matt Bradford's office (1846 Markley) starting at 9 am, by appointment. Must be 40 or older and have a prescription from your doctor. Call 610-270-1150 to schedule your appointment.

I heard from the Carver Center and the Grand Opening will DEFINITELY take place this Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm (see flyer above). Jacoby and Arch Sts. Free food (BBQ), free swimming, DJ, door prizes. For information, call 610-272-7480 or click here to email.

Elmwood Park Zoo will be CLOSED on SATURDAY due to their Beast of a Feast event. Regular hours of 10 am to 5 pm will resume on Sunday, June 21. For information and tickets for Beast of a Feast, go to this link

Saturday at 2 pm, come to Riverfront Park (end of Haws Avenue) to give the Team USA Dragon Boat Team a great send-off as they leave for the World Competition in Welland, Canada. This is OUR VERY OWN TEAM USA, Norristown. They did their tryouts here and trained here. Our own Robin Parker is their coach. There aren't a lot of communities that can claim to have a Team USA in any sport. So come and show your support.

Sunday, from 11 am to 8 pm at the ballfields at Eisenhower School (Coolidge Blvd) is the Father's Day Softball/Tailgate Event (cross your fingers for good weather). Come out and watch fathers gather with family and friends as they take to the softball fields to have some fun. Far from the reach of even the best sluggers will be moon bounces along with live entertainment from Jazzy The Clown. DJ Mike Scott will spin music on the 1's and 2's while the aroma fills the air from the many grills that will be cooking up the food. The Cowboy Buck Jones will provide pony rides for the children. At an intermission halfway through the day, an award will be given to THE FATHER OF THE YEAR (nominated and voted on by the committee) followed by a live performance. Photography will be provided by Mz. Snapshot Jodi Pendleton. This event is free of charge and only able to be successful through donations from each team and members of the community.  Contact Sean Tuggle at 484-686-6217 if you want to make a donation.

Sunday at 7 pm, the Sofa Kings will perform at the free Concert in the Park series at the Elmwood Park bandshell. Bring a lawnchair or blanket and hope for good weather. Food stand will be open. (Norristown.org)

Tuesday at 8:30 am, the Norristown Business Association will host Frank Sau of J.P. Mascaro at their monthly breakfast meeting. Mr. Sau will talk about the borough's new Recycling Rewards program and how it benefits both residents and businesses who offer discounts through it. Jus' Java will be this month's featured business. The meeting will take place at Stoney Creek Office Center, Bldg #2, 2nd floor (enter by the side door and go up stairs). RSVP at info@norristonba.org.

Tuesday, 7 pm, Municipal Hall - Zoning Board Hearing. Agenda at this link. The properties include 803 Noble (see the Diary entry on May 26th for the description), and 13 West Elm to allow for a house of worship in a residential neighborhood, though it's right next door to the old Trinity Lutheran. (Norristown.org)

Wednesday, 4 pm - Each year Genesis Housing holds a community meeting to get comments and suggestions for their programs. The meeting will be an opportunity to talk about new ideas for neighborhood improvements.  Information gathered from this community meeting will help guide future projects. Location: 1430 Dekalb, Conference Room E. For more information, call 610-275-4357, visit www.genesishousing.org or Facebook (www.facebook/GenesisHousing).

Council Agenda: the Sequel

As I said yesterday, I split council's agenda into 2 Diary entries because there was a lot to explain. To read part one, read yesterday's Diary. To read the original whole agenda, go to this link. If you're the kind of person who'd rather see the movie than read the book, go to the Council meeting tonight at 6:30 pm in the 1st Floor Conference Room at Municipal Hall.

The third item on tonight's agenda is a motion to approve or disapprove authorizing the advertisement of a Public Hearing for establishment of LERTA Program boundaries to encompass the entire Redevelopment Area. LERTA means Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance and was established to allow local taxing authorities to exempt improvements to a business property if such property is located in a deteriorated area.

Now maybe I've lived in Norristown so long that I remember all kinds of different boundaries for what we've called Redevelopment Areas or Enterprise Zones or whatever. So I'd like a clarification of what the boundaries currently are BEFORE the Public Hearing. The last time I heard LERTA discussed by Council, it concerned the Luxor Apartments. That development is NOT located in a "deteriorated area."

Council, in my experience, seems to exempt every developer or big business that comes along, so I'm not sure why we need a fancy name or a motion for it. It would be nice to see our small businesses reap the benefit of LERTA instead. I would love to see LERTA used to bring back our downtown--make improvements on Main Street and start to develop Lafayette in anticipation of the road improvements there.

Nor-Fab on Stanbridge St.

Fourth item: "Motion to approve or disapprove the Nor-Fab Corporation project at 1310 Stanbridge Street, Norristown with no conditions."

Nor-Fab is a textile manufacturer that makes protective clothing for fire fighting and industrial uses as well as other applications. They're a third-generation family owned business. I remember when they opened in Norristown in 1979--they had an open house and my dad and I toured the factory. So, they have a 36 year history in the borough and that counts for quite a lot. But it would be nice if the residents in that area and downstream on Stony Creek knew ahead of this vote what the project entails. Does it, say, pose any risk to the creek or the park which is directly down the hill from the factory?

Under "Items for Discussion" -- (a) A proposed easement for 5 Saints Distillery (opening this summer at 129 East Main). Again, no detail as to what this easement involves. I don't know whether 5 Saints requested it or if this is just something that needs to be formalized to allow the production of bourbon on the property.

(b) Council Cultural Events Committee -- I didn't know Council had a cultural events committee. Usually cultural events are planned and executed by non-profit organizations in Norristown. Unless they mean the concerts in the park on Sundays. I'd love to know what this committee does.

(c) Environmental Advisory Council -- Again, no explanation. Not sure if this is something being formed in Norristown or an outside agency.

(d) I love this next item: "Process for Waiver of Fees and Requesting Funding." Apparently so many developers ask us to waive fees and fund their projects that we need a formal process for it. If a formal process will allow Norristown to say NO to people like Sarah Peck, who is constantly asking us for money for her projects, then I'm all for the process. I'd much rather see any excess funds we have being used to improve our infrastructure before we allow many more large development projects.that put more strain on our already inadequate infrastructure. I'm talking road repair, sewers and stormwater control especially.

(e) Block Party/Street Closure events -- Not sure if this is just an information item, noting our normal street closure events that happen in the summer (like the National Night Out in August), or a way to inform neighborhoods of the process if they want to hold a block party, or someting new.

(f) Building Permit Fees Schedule -- This at least, seems fairly straightforward. They're probably raising, or considering a raise in building permit fees.

So that's the agenda. If you actually want to figure out what most of the agenda items mean, you have to go to the meeting. Even then, someone will probably need to get up during the Public Comment part of the meeting and ask Council to explain each agenda item, or they might just take their votes and leave us in the dark.

Council's Agenda, Part One

The Council Workshop has a meaty agenda this month, so I'm treating it like a summer blockbuster movie and splitting it into 2 episodes (The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones?--granted, maybe I need to work on the subtitles). Anyway, I'll post the entries today and tomorrow. The meeting will take place tomorrow night (Tuesday, June 16) at 6:30 pm in the 1st Floor Conference Room at Municipal Hall. If you want to read the whole agenda, go to this link.

The first agenda item is a motion to approve or disapprove to use funds awarded from The Elon Group to expand the Historic Façade Improvement Program. These are the funds that Einstein/Elon agreed to pay the town for being allowed to destroy one of our historic buildings (ie, Montgomery Hospital, now known as the war zone at Fornance and Powell).

I hope this is just a formality and no thought is being given to diverting those funds to anything else. Considering that the Norristown Preservation Society was the ONLY group that showed up at every meeting about Montgomery Hospital and did all they could to save the building, I think it's entirely appropriate that some of the money should be put toward their restoration of Selma Mansion. Putting some of the funds towards saving, say, the old jail, would also be appropriate, too. But don't let me hear that any of it's going to things like Luxor or Arbor Mews developments. The money should be used for Historic Preservation ONLY.

The second item is a motion to approve or disapprove the Local Share Account (LSA) grant application. A Local Share Account was granted to each county in Pennsylvania by the Gaming Law (that allows gambling at race tracks and casinos in the state). You can read the details of the LSA at this link, but basically, it's for the "redevelopment, reuse, or revitalization of previously developed land, development of undeveloped land, and projects which construct, expand, or improve water and wastewater infrastructure related to business development."

No details are listed on the agenda saying what the grant application entails, that is, how Norristown intends to use any funds that come from the County from the LSA. Anytime you apply for a grant, you're supposed to say how you'll use the money, so this information should be right on the application. While I'm all for the town receiving funds from the LSA, I wish they'd be more open about where the money will go.

That's all for today. Tomorrow I'll cover the rest of the agenda. Stay tuned for Episode 2 (Council Strikes Back?).

The Pool's Open! (and other Events for the week)

Today is the Grand Opening of the Carver Pool (Jacoby and Arch), just in time for the summer's hot, steamy weather. 10 am speakers, noon lunch, 1 pm pool opens. For program info, contact Yahnee Weldon, Program Director, at 610-272-7480 or click here to email.

Tonight from 6-10 pm and tomorrow (Saturday) 4-10 pm, check out the carnival at the high school to raise money for the NAHS Athletic Complex. Rides, Food, Dunk Tank.

Saturday from noon to 3 pm, Greater Norristown PAL (340 Harding) will hold a Norristown Youth Rally. Fun, free food, games, face painting, DJ, music and more. Call 610-278-8040 for details.

The Norristown Library's Teen Summer Reading Program begins on Saturday and goes through August 15. It's for students entering grades 6-12 this fall--read 3 books a week for a chance to be entered into a weekly drawing for prizes such as a $25 Amazon gift card and a final prize of Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones. Register for the summer reading program at www.mc-npl.org  Assistance is available at the library. Registration begins June 13th. Other summer programs will begin June 16th. Check the website or ask at the library for details.

Also Saturday at Almaz, from 9 pm until closing, a fundraiser party for the Father's Day Softball/Tailgate Event that will take place on June 21 (described at end of listings).

Sunday's free concert at the Bandshell in Elmwood Park will feature Mark Reno, Elvis Impersonator. Starts at 7 pm. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Tuesday at 6:30 pm is the Council Meeting at Municipal Hall. No agenda yet.

Wednesday, 7-9 pm at Jus' Java (317 Swede). Open Words--Poetry and discussion forum. $10 (includes wine, raffle ticket and a souvenir wristband). Hosted by Mydera SpeakMeFree.

Next Friday, June 19th, free breast cancer screening at Rep. Matt Bradford's office (1846 Markley) starting at 9 am, by appointment. Must be 40 or older and have a prescription from your doctor. Call 610-270-1150 to schedule your appointment. (Note: Since the passage of The Affordable Healthcare Act, ALL mammograms are free (except of course, for whatever you have to pay your doctor to get the prescription, but no charge for the procedure)).

Next Sunday, June 21, from 11 am to 8 pm at the ball fields at Eisenhower School (Coolidge Blvd) is the Father's Day Softball/Tailgate Event. Come out and watch fathers gather with family and friends as they take to the softball fields to have some fun. Far from the reach of even the best sluggers will be moon bounces along with live entertainment from Jazzy The Clown. DJ Mike Scott will spin music on the 1's and 2's while the aroma fills the air from the many grills that will be cooking up the food. The Cowboy Buck Jones will provide pony rides for the children. At an intermission halfway through the day, an award will be given to THE FATHER OF THE YEAR (nominated and voted on by the committee) followed by a live performance. Photography will be provided by Mz. SNAPSHOT Jodi Pendleton. This event is free of charge and only able to be successful through donations from each team and members of the community. DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED IN FORMS OF CASH, GIFT CARDS AND FOOD!  Contact Sean Tuggle at 484-686-6217 if you want to participate and/or make a donation.

CADCOM's Community Day is just a couple weeks away (June 27), to be held at Oak St (Simmons) Park. Vendors from both for profit and nonprofit businesses and service providers can set up tables that day. To keep providing this event free to the community, CADCOM needs financial, in-kind, and human (volunteers) donations in addition to the low, low for-profit vendor fee of $15. No charge for non-profit vendors. For info, contact Heather Lewis at 610-277-6363 x166.

Registration is open for ACPPA's Summer Dance Camp for 8-14 year-olds. From Monday, June 29th through Thursday, July 2nd, from 6-8 pm, students will have the opportunity to do ballet, hip hop/street jazz, and learn about stage makeup and theater performance/etiquette. Camp is just $60 per student (members get a discount). You can sign up in the office, or through ACPPA's website. 

Registration is also open for Theatre Horizon's Summer Drama Camp for 5-6 year-olds at the theater in Norristown (401 Dekalb). The dates of the camp will be July 13-17, 9 am to noon. Cost is $105.  Go to this link for details or to register or call the theater at 610-283-2230. 

Stay cool.

Avoid Markley For At Least The Next Month

The good news is, we're getting close to the end of the nightmare that Markley Street's been the last few years. The bad news is, it's going to get worse before it gets better.

As I drove down Markley yesterday, I noticed parking restriction signs the length of the work area--no parking for the next 4 weeks. And I wondered if that meant it was time to pave the street. This morning I got notices from Matt Bradford and Linda Christian saying just that. The new curbs are in. Now it's time to start milling down the road surface, then paving.

PennDOT's only supposed to do this work Mondays through Thursdays from 9 am to 3 pm, but if the weather's bad, they may work Fridays, too. If you try to get through that way, you'll probably encounter flagmen and temporary slowdowns and stoppages. Even on the weekends and at nights, expect a bumpy road.

The best thing to do is avoid Markley completely if you can. Harding Blvd will get you around most of it, though the blocks between Elm and Harding and the blocks of Johnson Hwy near Markley will also be a mess. Those of us who live in the North End, especially those west of Markley, are particularly effected.

And I might add, nice timing PennDOT, with half the town wanting to come to Elmwood Park for July 4th. But we'll see, maybe it will be done by then.

The best news is, Markley should be opening up again this fall, once the paving's done and new street lights are installed and trees planted along the route.

Fairs and Food, Carnivals and Cookouts--Must Be Summer

This week is PACKED with events. Clone yourself so you can get to everything on Saturday and Wednesday. Elmwood Park Zoo has so much going, including the debut of their new red panda exhibit, I'm just going to give you their website link so you can check it out yourself.

Today from 3-7 pm, Jus' Java (317 Swede) is hosting the Jazz1Cafe Party. Not entirely sure if this is a book signing or a concert or a little of both. Go and find out.

Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm at St Paul's church (353 E. Johnson Hwy), Flea Market and Food Fest to celebrate the renovation of their food pantry. Bake sale, rib platters from Zachary's BBQ, Open House, raffles. Also, volunteers needed all day. Contact Mandi at aruch@chs-adphila.org or call 610-279-7372.

Saturday at 11 am at Montgomery Co. OIC (Basin and Arch), Camp Xtreme Open House--an information session about their 8 week, full-day STEAM program. Parents can also register their children and pay their deposit that day. To learn about the program go to this link or call 610-279-9700.


Saturday from 3-7 pm at Almaz Cafe (24 W Main), District Judge Candidate Greg Scott is hosting a Kickoff Reception for his campaign. Donation $10. RSVP to voteGregScott@gmail.com or call 610-504-9074.

Sunday from 2-5, Elmwood Park Zoo--FREE admission to Norristown residents with ID.

Sunday at 7 pm at the Elmwood Park bandshell. This week, the FREE Summer Concert Series features Wildflower. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Food stand will be open during the concert.

Tuesday at 7 pm, a Community Meeting at the Carver Center (249 E Jacoby). The agenda includes the summer aquatics program, the summer science program, finance update, and the Grand Opening Anniversary Celebration.  For more info call 610-272-7480.

Tuesday at 7 pm at Municipal Hall, Planning Commission meeting. No agenda posted yet.

Wednesday from 5-7 pm, Rep. Bradford is hosting the Family Fun Fair at Elmwood Park Zoo. Food and activities. You must RSVP at 610-270-1150 to attend.

Wednesday at 5:30 pm at Montgomery Hose Company (Freedley and Pine), Norristown Police will hold a public COMPSTAT meeting. Come listen to the NPD as they assess the latest data on crime in Norristown and lay out their strategies.

Wednesday again (popular night) from 5:30-7:30 pm, My Life MontCo will meet at Elmwood Park. The only address given is Harding Blvd and Sterigere. For more information, contact Timothy Connors at 215-504-3961 or email TJConnors@MagellanHealth.com.

Wednesday through Friday, 6-10 pm and Saturday 4-10 pm, there will be a carnival to raise money for the NAHS Athletic Complex. I assume the location is the high school. Rides, Food, Dunk Tank.

Next Saturday, June 13th, from 9 am to noon, Greater Norristown PAL (340 Harding) will hold a Norristown Youth Rally. Fun, free food, games, face painting, DJ, music and more. Call 610-278-8040 for details.

Also next Saturday at Almaz, from 9 pm until closing, a fundraiser party for the Father's Day Softball/Tailgate Event described below.

On Sunday, June 21, from 11 am to 8 pm at the ballfields at Eisenhower School (Coolidge Blvd) is the Father's Day Softball/Tailgate Event. Come out and watch fathers gather with family and friends as they take to the softball fields to have some fun. Far from the reach of even the best sluggers will be moon bounces along with live entertainment from Jazzy The Clown. DJ Mike Scott will spin music on the 1's and 2's while the aroma fills the air from the many grills that will be cooking up the food. The Cowboy Buck Jones will provide pony rides for the children. At an intermission halfway through the day, an award will be given to THE FATHER OF THE YEAR (nominated and voted on by the committee) followed by a live performance. Photography will be provided by Mz. SNAPSHOT Jodi Pendleton. This event is free of charge and only able to be successful through donations from each team and members of the community. DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED IN FORMS OF CASH, GIFT CARDS AND FOOD!  Contact Sean Tuggle at 484-686-6217 if you want to participate and/or make a donation.

Registration is open for ACPPA's Summer Dance Camp for 8-14 year-olds. From Monday, June 29th through Thursday, July 2nd, from 6-8 pm, students will have the opportunity to do ballet, hip hop/street jazz, and learn about stage makeup and theatre performance/etiquette. Camp is just $60 per student (members get a discount). You can sign up in the office, or through this website.  

Get out and enjoy the nice weather this week.

Time To Keep The Burglars Out

This is my beginning-of-summer reminder about keeping your house safe and secure during the warm months.

Last summer, one of the most prevalent crimes in Norristown was burglary, for 2 main reasons. One is that people left windows open in their houses when they went out, or when they're sleeping, or even when they were home but in another part of the house. Two, people put portable air conditioning units in first floor windows or upper floor windows that are easily accessed from outside, but failed to secure the A/C unit in any way other than closing the upper sash on it.

Sure, we all want to lure those great summer breezes into our homes, but screens that can either be opened from the outside or often peeled back to create an opening. When you're out of the house, even for a short time, close and lock your windows.

Most newer windows have a locking mechanism on the upper sash, right above the lower sash, that will allow you to open the window about 2 to 4 inches, but it can't be opened farther. Most of my downstairs windows have these locks and I use them when I'm upstairs working in my office, or even when I have to run a short errand and expect to be back quickly. I also use them on my front bedroom windows overnight because that's right above a porch roof. That way I can have the windows open but no one can get in without breaking glass (which most burglars will avoid at all costs--they don't want to make noise).

For older windows, jalousies are the only one that could probably be considered safe when open. For sliding windows, you can put a stick or metal rod in the track to prevent the window from being opened past a certain point.

For old wooden double-hung windows, you can buy a little thumbscrew device at most hardware/ home stores that fit into the track above the lower sash. Put it right above the lower sash to lock the window completely. Put it 2 to 4 inches above the sash if you want the window to open a bit, but not far enough for anyone to climb in. They also sell similar security catches for casement windows.

But when it's really hot, you might want A/C. Last year, the NPD had lots of reports of burglars simply raising window sashes, lifting A/C units out, and climbing inside. Most portable A/C units come with instructions and hardware for screwing the unit to the window frame. These screws not only keep your house or office secure, they also keep the unit from rattling if the window frame or sash is old and loose. If there's some reason you can't screw your unit into the frame--maybe your landlord won't let you--at least get the window locks mentioned in the last paragraph and put them directly above the top of the lower sash so the window can't be opened any farther and the A/C unit removed.

If you go away, even for an overnight or a short weekend, make sure all your windows and doors are locked and any A/C units can't be removed. You might even want to remove the A/C unit for the time you're away and lock that window. Put decent locks on your doors and use them. Use timers on a few lamps so it looks like you're home. If you have neighbors you trust, ask them to take in your mail and keep an eye on your house.

And be a good neighbor yourself. Keep an eye on the houses next door to you if your neighbors are out.

The NPD has been doing a great job keeping crime down in the borough. We can help them by simply securing our windows and doors, and by being vigilant.  

New N-Town Residents and Council's Agenda

Only 2 agenda items for the Council meeting tonight, but before I get to them, let me introduce some new members of our community.

The golden retriever in the photo is Kindle, the newest member of the Norristown Fire Department. These days fire department dogs aren't just cool looking dalmatians who hang out at the station, now they have to earn their keep. Kindle is being trained to detect accelerants. He'll help the Fire Chief find the source of certain fires and determine if they could be arson. Kindle will be visiting all of our fire stations from time to time. You can follow him on the NFD's Facebook page.

The next photo shows one of the new red pandas at Elmwood Park Zoo. They'll make their debut this coming weekend. Red pandas are racoon-like, about the size of a large house cat (but with a longer tail), and are native to the foothills of the Himalayas. Like giant pandas, they eat bamboo, plus things like berries and bird eggs. According to the National Zoo, there are fewer than 10,000 adult red pandas left. They're listed as "vulnerable" on the Threatened Species List. And they are incredibly cute.

Now, after the exciting stuff, here's Council's agenda: Expect police promotions and recognition of those who attended the Citizen Leadership Academy. Announcements are listed twice, but no clue what they involve.

The first item is a motion to remove handicapped and loading zone signs that are no longer needed, and to install other HP signs at 319 Sterigere, 806 W Elm and 800 W Lafayette.

The second item concerns HARB certificates for remodeling work at 611 W Lafayette, 1018 Arch, 231 E Oak, and 1029 W Lafayette. These are all twins or rowhome and all retain a lot of their historical character.

That's it. A short meeting tonight.

N-Town Rhythm--Making Music Fun for Our Kids

HBCU or show style marching band 

Back on February 5th, I posted a Diary Entry entitled "N-Town Rhythm - Coming Soon." A couple weeks ago, when I was busy working the election and preparing for Fourth Friday, a Mr. Daniel De Kok (who is a music educator) posted some questions under that entry. I didn't have time to answer that week, and moreover, since it was an old blog and I didn't think anyone would go back to read the comments, I decided to post answers in a new entry.

To jog everyone's memory or inform those of you who haven't heard, a group has been meeting for at least a year now, with the goal of starting a community marching band for middle school students. I didn't make it clear in the last entry (I apologize), but the main reason to do this is to help spark interest in music and band and band front in our middle school students so that when they reach high school, they'll join the NAHS Marching Eagles.

This is NOT to replace the middle school program, but to help support it in many different ways. As probably everyone knows, funding has been cut to public school music programs, which means staff and rehearsal time is limited. N-Town Rhythm would help get instruments into the hands of kids who want to play, give them an opportunity to play outside school and extend the activity through the summer months. When I was a student, NASD gave me all these opportunities (and I became a music teacher, thanks to them), but these days, it's a struggle for our district's music teachers just to keep the band together, through no fault of their own.

The 1st question Mr. De Kok asked was "So why not support the current band director?"

Military style band 

I'm not sure if he means the middle school directors or the high school director. As N-Town Rhythm was forming, the committee (of which I was a member) had meetings with two of Norristown's music directors: Mrs. Laskey and Mrs. Blum. These two have, in my mind, possibly worked harder than anyone else to keep the marching band going in the district. They both expressed enthusiasm for the N-Town Rhythm project and thought it might help eventually increase the size of the high school marching band. They freely offered good advice. So no assumption should be made that N-Town Rhythm doesn't support the music directors. It was developed with their help.

Question #2: "Why does the marching band experience have to be HBCU-style? Is N-Town Rhythms not intended to be diverse?"

The word diversity is usually used when talking about race so when I read this, that was my first thought. This would be like suggesting that white musicians shouldn't play jazz and black musicians shouldn't perform Italian opera and no one but Latinos should do Salsa dancing. But probably I was wrong and the question has nothing to do with race--only the diversity of marching styles.

Let me explain those styles to anyone who hasn't been in a band.

Corps style band 

There are 3 marching band styles -- military, corps and show (which is also called HBCU). Military style is regimented--straight lines, and every step should cover the same amount of distance. Stiff legs when marching, raising feet 2 to 4 inches when marking time.

Corps style is more relaxed--you walk rather than march, rolling on the outside of your foot so it seems like more of a glide. When you mark time, you don't usually lift your toes off the ground. You form arcs and other shapes.

Show (HBCU style) uses high steps, fancy turns and dance moves. Visually, the show style has more energy. It's favored by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, hence the name, but also by a lot of other colleges and high schools.

When I was in Norristown High, I learned show style with a little military style mixed in from the best band director I ever studied under, Brent Hentzel. At West Chester U., I learned corps style. Of the three, show style is the most fun and, even though it takes a  lot of effort, it doesn't feel as much like work as the other styles.

If I were teaching a middle school marching band (or even high school), I'd definitely use show style. The other two are too formal and not entertaining or energetic enough for that age group. I think the kids will get more a boost to their self-esteem from show style. They need to associate marching band with fun or you're not going to get students wanting to continue in the high school band.

Mr. De Kok wrote another comment that was so long, I can't reproduce it word-for word here (go to the link above to read the whole thing under Comments), but I wanted to address some of his thoughts.

He says "...the best use of the middle school years is building of performance fundamentals..." and "...when I was a middle schooler, I could barely walk and chew gum at the same time..." I think he's basically saying that he doesn't believe our middle-schoolers are capable of anything more than possibly walking onto a field, playing a few tunes and walking off.

Easton Area Middle School Band doing Show Style 

I taught middle school music and chorus at Stewart, taught folk dancing to Girl Scouts that age and younger, and I've worked with middle school and younger kids in theater. What I've learned is that if the students really want to be there, you can ask them to go way beyond their comfort zone. They'll surprise you. Once when my middle-school chorus was singing in an assembly and the accompaniment suddenly stopped, I had them continue a capella. They weren't expecting it, had never done it before, but they opened their mouths, sang in 2 parts, stayed in tune and sounded musical (as opposed to scared). And they walked around like proud peacocks the rest of the day because they knew they were good. I've also seen kids that age dance beautifully. You might not persuade them to solo, but they'll do it if their friends do.

I should add that when I was at Rittenhouse (when it was a junior high), we also had a marching band. We sort of marched onto the field, formed an "R", played our alma mater, formed an "S" (for Stewart, our sworn rivals--it was the only game we performed at), then played their alma mater. That was it. Boring. I might not have joined the high school band if that was all I expected, but I'd seen my brother in the high school band, doing show style at halftime shows, and I couldn't wait to get there because it looked like fun.

The director of N-Town Rhythm leaned show style at her university so that will be her primary focus, but she's also said she wants to mix styles so the students learn a little of all of them.

Honestly, even if all N-Town Rhythm accomplishes is to walk onto a field, play a few tunes and walk off, IF they do it in an entertaining style that will make their parents smile and make the kids feel good about themselves, I think you're going to find more kids sticking with band into high school and more of their parents showing up to be band boosters.

Instruments have been donated to N-Town Rhythm, but they still need volunteers. If you'd like to help, or you want to find out how to get your student involved, email Ernest Hadrick at ehadjr@verizon.net or Jocelyn Hadrick at jghadrick@gmail.com.