Judges' Retirement Age Question

What could be scarier for Halloween than talking about the election?

Today's Diary is about the question on the ballot.

"Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to require that justices of the Supreme Court, judges, and magisterial district judges be retired on the last day of the calendar year in which they attain the age of 75 years?"

Here's what the question doesn't tell you: The current mandatory retirement age is 70 years.

19 judges across Pennsylvania will turn 70 before the end of the year, including PA Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Saylor. The Republican majority PA legislature doesn't want Saylor to retire in December because he's one of, I think, only 2 Republican justices on the PA Supreme Court, hence the question on the ballot. It's has everything to do with political power and nothing to do with giving elderly justices financial security for another 5 years.

The questions you need to ask yourselves are, can EVERY judge in their 70s do that job? Should they step aside and give younger judges a chance at higher offices?

Also remember, PA judges and justices are elected, not appointed. They don't serve for life. PA District Court judges serve 6-year terms. Higher court judges serve 10-year terms. Justice Saylor's term is up NEXT YEAR. That's right, he'd get only one more guaranteed year if this question passes, before he'd have to run again.

Anyway, it boils down to whether you think PA judges should retire at 70 or 75. Vote NO for 70 and YES for 75.

Don't forget to go vote on November 8.

Trunk-or-Treats, Haunted House, and Other Events

One thing we're good at in Norristown is coming together to help kids. You'll find lots of safe Trick or Treating events for children around town both on Saturday and Monday evenings. Take advantage of them. Also, certain areas will have "Watch Dads" (and Moms) out ~ If you see adults in yellow shirts, they're there to make sure kids are safe crossing streets and that no teens or strangers bother the little ones. Want activities for adults? The Haunted House at Selma Mansion and a party at Five Saints. Have fun.

Today, Friday, October 28 through November 2 ~ The Norristown Police Department is collecting winter hats and gloves for boys and girls in need at 3 locations: The NPD at 235 E Airy, Redemption 1010 Church (308 Stanbridge) and Starbucks (413 Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting). The last day is Wednesday, Nov 2.

Friday, 7-11 pm at Five Saints Distillery (Green and Main), Karaoke with DJ Denny McConnell.

Friday, 8 pm at Theatre Horizon (401 Dekalb), The musical "A New Brain."  Other performances this week are Saturday (8 pm), Monday and Thursday at 7:30 pm (Sunday, the 30th is sold out). Tickets on sale at this link  The show will run through November 6. Only 1 week left!

Saturday, 1-4 pm at Oak Street Park, Fall Festival for kids. Food, games, raffles and lots of candy. If it rains the festival will be held at the Library (Swede and Powell).

Saturday and Sunday, noon-3 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo. Boo At The Zoo.  Live entertainment, costume contests, costume parades, trick-or-treat stations with candy, prizes, crafts and educational pieces, and much more. Children are encouraged to bring their own treat bags for trick-or-treating. The zoo will not be providing any bags. Live performances at 1 pm on the Eagles Deck. Live animal program in the ZooBowl Theater at 1:45 pm. This is the last weekend.

Saturday 5-8 pm at Norristown Centre (Logan Square), Trunk or Treat, presented by Royalty and Low La Familia. Children 12 years and younger who are dressed in costume may participate in the trunk-or-treating and costume contest. Parent(s) must register their children to be entered into the costume contest, on-site, the day of the event. If you would like to volunteer or would like more information regarding this event please e-mail Royalty_Elite@yahoo.com. All cars must stay until end of event. Trunk set up at 4 pm.

Saturday, 5-10 pm, TEDx Talks at Centre Theatre (208 Dekalb). Videos and live speakers share ideas. FREE program. For more info, go to https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/20249.

Saturday, 6:30-10:30 pm, Five Saints Distilling, Halloween Party. Prizes for best male and female costume. CJ Steinway performs music of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Empanada Food Truck.

Saturday, 7 pm-midnight at Selma Mansion (1301 W Airy), Norristown Preservation Society will once again host their annual Haunted Mansion. The mansion will be decked out for Halloween. Ghouls, zombies and other unworldly beings will roam the halls. You may even see/hear/feel one of Selma's infamous ghosts. Tours will be continuous. Come anytime. Tickets at the door only. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 5-12, seniors, veterans. FREE for all active military and officers of the Norristown Police and Fire Departments. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. On-street parking. All proceeds will go toward the restoration of Selma Mansion.

CHILDREN'S EVENTS FOR HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Monday, 4-7 pm at Roosevelt Field, Trunk or Treat, FREE event hosted by CADCOM. A car maze for kids. Local organizations will give away candy and other treats to young trick-or-treaters. Officers from the NPD and NFD will be at this event. Prizes for best table/trunk. To donate candy, volunteer, or find out more information, contact Heather Lewis 610-277-6363 ext166, or hlewis@cadcom.org

Monday, 5:30-7:30 pm at 329 E Main (the parking lot behind LaMichoacana). Another Trunk or Treat presented by The Village Norristown. Officers from the NPD will also be at this event.

Monday, 5:30-8:30 pm at Gotwals Elementary (Oak and Swede). Norristown Youth Eagles presents a Fall Festival. Costume contest, games, candy, food, DJ. All kids welcome.

Monday, 6-9 pm at Healing Word Church, 208 Chain St. Fall Festival. Food, games, lots of fun.
___________________

Tuesday, 7:30 pm, Municipal Hall, Council Meeting. No agenda yet.

Thursdays, 5-10 pm at Five Saints Distilling. Open Mic.

Thursday, 6-8 pm at Martha's Choice Marketplace, 353 E Johnson Highway (St Paul's Church). Annual Fall Harvest Fest. A variety of vendors will be present. For info, contact Eli Wenger at ewnger@chs-adphila.org.

Thursday, 6:30-7:30 pm at the Library (Powell and Swede) Community Room. Feng Shui Workshop, by Jana Schneider of the Feng Shui Institute Pre-registration is encouraged. Call  610-278-5100, ext 0.

Next Friday, Nov 4, 5-9 pm at St Francis Church (Buttonwood and W Marshall), Christmas Bazaar in the school gym.

Next Saturday, November 5, 9:30-11:30 am, Coffee With A Cop at Greater Norristown PAL (340 Harding). They'll also distribute the collected gloves and hat at the event.

Next Saturday, 11 am-5 pm at Selma Mansion (1301 W Airy), Paranormal Day. All sorts of vendors and presenters in the realm of the paranormal. Admission tickets at the door: $10 for all those above the age of 12, $5 for children (ages 5-12), seniors /veterans, and FREE for kids under 5, Norristown PD and Fire Dept personnel and active military. All proceeds from admission goes to the Norristown Preservation Society for the restoration and upkeep of Selma Mansion. Lectures will run from approximately 11:30 am to 4:30 pm. and are included with admission. For an extra $10 you can participate in a public gallery psychic reading. To pre-order a seat to that event, go to http://wew.IvyRiveraPsychicMedium.com. (Tickets will also be available at Selma Mansion on the day of the event)

Next Saturday night from 8 pm-2 am at Selma Mansion. Public paranormal investigation. $30 per person. Contact 610-597-3619 or pupsteam@gmail.com for info and to make a reservation. Space is limited.

On November 10th, the Norristown Police Dept will hold an Open House for young people (18-20) interested in the Law Enforcement Explorers Program. More details next week.

The Norristown Preservation Society will be hosting their 1st Annual Holiday Craft Show at Selma Mansion on November 19th. They're looking for vendors. $15 a spot or 2 for $25. Must supply own table. This will be held inside the mansion. Santa and Christmas Carolers will be making a visit. To reserve a vendor space, call or text Dee Kirkpatrick at 484-860-2533.

Happy Halloween !

Absentee Ballot Information

A few quick notes on absentee ballots.

If for some reason you're unable to get to your polling place on Election Day, you can vote by absentee ballot. Maybe you're active military stationed overseas. Maybe you're a nurse who needs to work a double shift. Maybe you'll be away on vacation. Maybe you're working  the election in a polling place that's not close enough to your own that you can leave and get back quickly. Maybe, like a lot of absentee voters, you're physically unable to travel or stand in long lines.

That said, it's ALWAYS better to vote in person if you can. But if you MUST vote absentee, you can go to this link for information.

Briefly, your application needs to be received at the Court House by Tuesday, November 1, 5 pm. Applications can be found online at this link, or at the Library, Borough Hall or state liquor stores. If you have an emergency that will prevent you from voting that you find out about AFTER next Tuesday, there are emergency applications online at the link in the paragraph above.

Once they get your application, they'll send you your ballot. Ballots are due back by 5 pm on the Friday before Election Day (received by Nov 4, not just postmarked). If you sent in an application but didn't receive your ballot in a reasonable amount of time, it's important that you call Sarah Piening at the Election Board office (610-278-3275). Stealing absentee ballots from mailboxes is a method of election fraud (a stupid method, because rarely do absentee ballots in one location alter the results of a national election). But you want your vote to count for the candidate YOU want to vote for. So call.

Direct any other questions about absentee ballots to the phone number above.

PA Auditor General and Treasurer Candidates

This election's ballot includes a few offices and candidates you probably haven't heard about. Here's info about the candidates for state Auditor General and Treasurer. Where I can, I listed websites where you can  find bios and stances on issues. One other resource is Vote411.org, which is run by the League of Women Voters. If you put in your address, then click the green button, you can get the offices on your ballot and info about the candidates.

Pennsylvania's Auditor General ensures state funds are being used properly and efficiently. He or she conducts financial and performance audits of individuals, state agencies, and organizations that receive state funds, including school districts, state liquor stores, and public pensions. The candidates:

Incumbent Auditor General Eugene DePasquale (D) is running for a second term. His campaign website is http://www.eugene4pa.com/home.html.

The Republican is John A Brown, currently serving as Northampton County Executive (last 2 years). Before that he was mayor of Bangor, PA. His website is http://www.brownforag.com/

Roy Minet is running on the Libertarian ticket. He's a retired businessman. He has no website, but information can be found on the Libertarian Party's site at this link.

John J Sweeney is the Green Party candidate. He has served on the Board of Auditors for Falls Township, and owns Jay's Woodfinishing and Painting in Wyoming County. He has a Facebook page at this link. _________________________

Pennsylvania's Treasurer manages the state's finances, including debt, investments, revenue, and pension funds. In Pennsylvania, the treasurer also manages several public investment programs and investigates fraudulent use of public monies. The incumbent is not seeking re-election.

Republican Otto Voit has served for the last 19 years as President of Keystone Dental Group, a division of Keystone Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of products serving the dental and cosmetic industries. He has also served as CFO/General Manager. His website is http://www.voitforpatreasurer.com/

Democrat Joseph Torsella served as US Ambassador to the UN from 2011-14. Before that, he served as Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. He was the founding President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and served as Deputy Mayor of Philly under Rendell. His website is http://www.joetorsella.com/

Libertarian James Babb is a Montgomery County advertising consultant. He told the Reading newspaper he would eliminate "state tax" (which he wouldn't be able to do unless on the legislature, but if he could, he didn't say how he would then pay his own salary if elected). He has no website or Facebook page, and even the Libertarian Party page lists nothing about him except contact information. I did find a few facts and a little statement from him at Vote411.org.

Kristin Combs of the Green Party is a public school teacher in Philadelphia. She volunteers with the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, a non-profit working to uphold the human rights of all people regardless of color, creed, sexual identity, or socioeconomic status, and sings with the A Cappella Project, a Philadelphia, a non-profit dedicated to arts promotion and education. No website or Facebook page, but there's a bio at http://www.gpofpa.org/elections

Don't forget, you can view your sample ballot at this link and find your polling location at http://www.montcopa.org/753/Voter-Services.

N-Town / Montco Polling Locations, Sample Ballots, Etc.

Only 2 weeks until the election. Here's some Montgomery County information you might need. I'll do a few more election blogs before the big event and I'll repeat the vital stuff. But please, pass the info along to your friends, relatives and neighbors.

You can find your polling location and other voting info at this link.  The photo below shows the Norristown locations, too. One change from last time: if you live in 2-3 and voted at St. Pat's last time, you'll be voting at Gotwals School this time.

Your sample ballot can be found at this website. Find your town on the list, then click on your district.

Some folks are asking about poll watchers and rigged elections in our state. Poll watchers MUST register before election day at the Courthouse, and only a limited number can observe one polling location at a time. On election day, they must NEVER interfere with any voter or the voting process. Here's a video Daulphin County put together that explains the rules regarding pollwatchers in PA. If anyone tries to interfere with your right to vote on November 8, report that person to the Judge of Elections at your polling place. Any election official in the polling place can point you to the Judge of Elections. Don't let anyone stop you from voting.

As for election fraud, I've only seen one case so far, and that's a message being sent around social media saying that Pennsylvania now has online voting and giving texting instructions to "vote for Hillary." This is a lie. There is NO online voting in PA. You must go to the polls to vote. If we ever do get online voting, I guarantee that it won't be that easy or informal.

As for the claim that people will vote many times, most election officials live in the local neighborhood and know people by sight (the clerk in 3-3, I swear, knows everyone in the ward by name). They will also cover the signature on file as you sign so you can't see to forge the writing. First-time voters or voters who've changed districts since the primary will be asked for photo ID (it will be printed under your name in the book if you need to present ID or take other action, so don't feel the official is picking on you). Otherwise ID is NOT required and you won't be asked for it. Some people feel more comfortable presenting it. That's fine, too. If your name isn't in the book, the officials will ask questions to assure you're in the correct polling place (usually that's the problem). If it's not that simple, the Judge of Elections will call the courthouse to see if you're registered in the county and take other steps to solve the problem. No one can simply walk in and vote.

You may not wear political buttons inside the polling place or in any way visually campaign for a candidate. You'll be asked to remove the button until you go outside again.

You may not use your cell phone or other electronic devices inside the polling place. No selfies in the booth, no texting, no talking on phones, especially no taking photos of anyone else. NOTHING. Polling places preserve the privacy of every voter and need to assure that no one is intimidated by having their photo taken. Talking on phones distracts voters and officials. Please respect this rule ~ you're only inside (hopefully) a few minutes.

If you have questions, use the comment section below or ask me on Facebook and I'll cover the question in the next installment.

Music, Theater, Recycling, Halloween and More...

Halloween activities begin this weekend, plus a job fair, Soul Food, theater, and music at various venues. You can also get rid of old electronic devices and medications at Municipal Hall on Saturday.

Today, Friday, October 21, 10 am-3 pm, Greater Norristown PAL, 340 Harding Blvd, Open Job Fair. Part-time, Holiday Season, Full time opportunities. More than 25 participating companies.

Also Friday, 2 pm at the Norristown Library. Halloween Fun. Come for some holiday themed activities and crafts. For kids in grades K-6. Norristown area schools no-school day. Drop in.

Friday, 7:30 pm, Coffee Talk (507 W Marshall) welcomes Songwriters and Performers. Donation $5.

Friday, 7-11 pm at Five Saints Distillery (Green and Main), Pat's Run performs~duo acoustic guitars.

Friday, 8 pm at Theatre Horizon (401 Dekalb), The musical "A New Brain."  Other performances this week are Saturday (8 pm), Sunday (2 pm), Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm. Tickets on sale at this link. The show will run through November 6.

Saturday, 9 am-noon, Municipal Hall parking lot (enter from Marshall St.). Recycling Day~Anything With A Plug (though they won't take large appliances or smoke detectors, and will charge a fee for TVs, computer monitors, microwaves, dehumidifiers and AC units. Everything else free).

Saturday, 10 am-2 pm at the Norristown Police Department (235 E Airy, rear). TAKE BACK DAY. Turn in unused or expired medications for safe disposal in the Norristown Police Department Lobby. Sponsored by the Montgomery County District Attorney & Police Chiefs. (If you can't make that day, there's a disposal container in the NPD lobby~bring your meds anytime).

Saturday, 10 am-noon, New Life Plaza (25 E Marshall). Photo ID clinic. (You do NOT need a photo ID to vote).

Saturday, noon-7 pm at St. Patrick's Church Hall (basement), Soul Food Day. $14 per person for your choice of fried or baked chicken, fried fish, BBQ spare ribs. Sides of macaroni and cheese or potato salad, collard greens or string beans or sweet potatoes. Variety of pies and cakes. BYOB. Everyone welcome.

Saturday and Sunday, noon-3 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo. Boo At The Zoo.  Live entertainment, costume contests, costume parades, trick-or-treat stations with candy, prizes, crafts and educational pieces, and much more. Children are encouraged to bring their own treat bags for trick-or-treating. The zoo will not be providing any bags. Live performances at 1 pm on the Eagles Deck. Live animal program in the ZooBowl Theater at 1:45 pm. Continuing Saturdays and Sundays through October.

Monday, Oct 3 through Nov. 2, The Norristown Police Department is now collecting winter hats and gloves for boys and girls in need at 3 locations: The NPD at 235 E Airy, Redemption 1010 Church (308 Stanbridge) and Starbucks (413 Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting).

Tuesday, 6 pm, Norristown Public Library (Swede and Powell). Nutrition Matters Presentation Komal Shah from Penn State Extension on Food safety & myths surrounding it. Free program. To register, please visit or call the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library Reference Desk at 610-278-5100 extension 2.

Tuesday, 7 pm, Municipal Hall, Zoning Board Hearing. No agenda yet.

Wednesday, 11 am-12:30pm, Norristown Hospitality Center, 530 Church St # 1 presents "A Taste of African Heritage", a FREE healthy cooking class that includes 6 sessions, Low cost cooking ideas, food tastings, giveaways. Contact Susan Shuller Frantz, sshullerfrantz@thefoodtrust.org.

Thursday, 11 am-2:30 pm, Main St. below the Courthouse, LAST Farmer's Market of the season.

Thursdays, 5-10 pm at Five Saints Distilling. Open Mic.

Thursday, 5 pm-7 pm, Montgomery Cemetery Walk and Presentation, The Culture of Death by Barry Rauhauser of the Historical Society of Norristown. Tickets $15 and include the walking tour, refreshments and presentation afterwards. Tickets are limited, call 610-272-0297.

Next Saturday, October 29, 1-4 pm at Oak Street Park, Fall Festival for kids. Food, games, raffles and lots of candy. If it rains the festival will be held at the Library (Swede and Powell).

Also next Saturday, 5-10 pm, TEDx Talks at Centre Theatre (208 Dekalb). Videos and live speakers share ideas. FREE program. For more info, go to https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/20249.
 

Next Saturday, 7 pm-midnight at Selma Mansion (1301 W Airy), Norristown Preservation Society will once again host their annual Haunted Mansion. The mansion will be decked out for Halloween. Ghouls, zombies and other unworldly beings will roam the halls. You may even see/hear/feel one of Selma's infamous ghosts. Tours will be continuous. Come anytime. Tickets at the door only. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 5-12, seniors, veterans. FREE for all active military and officers of the Norristown Police and Fire Departments. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. On-street parking. All proceeds will go toward the restoration of Selma Mansion.

Martha's Choice Marketplace, 353 E Johnson Highway (St Paul's Church) will hold their Fall Harvest Fest on November 3, 6-8 pm. They're looking for vendors~non-profits or local restaurants. If interested, contact Eli Wenger at ewnger@chs-adphila.org. Space is limited so contact them now.

The Norristown Preservation Society will be hosting their 1st Annual Holiday Craft Show at Selma Mansion on November 19th. They're looking for vendors. $15 a spot or 2 for $25. Must supply own table. This will be held inside the mansion. Santa and Christmas Carolers will be making a visit. To reserve a vendor space, call or text Dee Kirkpatrick at 484-860-2533.

Events For the Coming Week

I have an early appointment tomorrow (Friday), so I'm posting the events for next week today.

Friday, 6-9 pm at Greater Norristown PAL (340 Harding Blvd), Coach Designer Bag BINGO. Tickets $30 in advance, $35 at door. For the CLEA Scholarship Foundation. Info 215-397-7865.

Friday, 7-11 pm at Five Saints Distillery (Green and Main), Karaoke Night with DJ Vudu. The Butler will provide burgers, wings and more from 5-9 pm.

Friday, 8 pm at Theatre Horizon (401 Dekalb), The musical "A New Brain."  Other performances this week are Saturday (8 pm), Sunday (2 pm), Wednesday (6:30 pm~Norristown Night) and Thursday (7:30 pm) . Tickets on sale at this link  The show will run October 13 through November 6.

Saturday, noon-3 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo. Boo At The Zoo.  Live entertainment, costume contests, costume parades, trick-or-treat stations with candy, prizes, crafts and educational pieces, and much more. Children are encouraged to bring their own treat bags for trick-or-treating. The zoo will not be providing any bags. Live performances at 1 pm on the Eagles Deck. Live animal program in the ZooBowl Theater at 1:45 pm. Continuing Saturdays and Sundays through October.

Saturday, 10-2 pm, Firesmart at Elmwood Park Zoo presented by the Norristown Fire Dept. Fire Smart is a family-friendly day filled with activities to promote fire safety and prevention. This year's activities include a meet and greet with Norristown firefighters, police officers and EMTs, opportunities for children to dress up as a firefighter, operate a fire hose, tour a fire truck, and much more.

Saturday, 7-10 pm, at Five Saints, Ken Pierson Acoustic. The Butler will provide Burgers, wings and more from 5-9 pm.

Saturday, 6:30 pm, The Verdi Band of Norristown is sponsoring an Italian Heritage Night at the Holy Saviour Italian Club, located at 436 East Main. The band will perform an All-Italian Concert from 6:30-7:30pm. An Italian buffet dinner and cash bar will follow immediately after the concert. Tarantella dancers and desserts will end the celebration. Tickets are on sale now for $35. Call Jim Serratore at the club at 610-272-2921 or Band President, Michael Angelucci at 610-213-1196, or email him at michaelangelucci@verizon.net.

Monday, Oct 3 through Nov. 2, The Norristown Police Department will be collecting winter hats and gloves for boys and girls in need at 3 locations: The NPD at 235 E Airy, Redemption 1010 Church (308 Stanbridge) and Starbucks (413 Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting).

Tuesday, 8-10 am at Jule's Sandwich Shop (1101 Powell). Coffee With A Cop. Stop by for free coffee and conversation. Ask questions and voice your concerns.

Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Municipal Hall, Council Meeting.

Thursdays, 5-10 pm at Five Saints Distilling. Open Mic.

Next Friday, October 21, 2 pm at the Norristown Library. Halloween Fun. Come for some holiday themed activities and crafts. For kids in grades K-6. Norristown area schools no-school day. Drop in.

Also next Friday, 7:30 pm, Coffee Talk (507 W Marshall) welcomes Songwriters and Performers. Donation $5.

Next Saturday, Oct 22, 9 am-noon, Municipal Hall parking lot (enter from Marshall St.). Recycling Day~Anything With A Plug (which isn't exactly true: no smoke detectors or large appliances, and a fee for TVs, computer monitors, microwaves, dehumidifiers and AC units. Everything else free).

Next Saturday, Oct 22, 10 am-2 pm at the Norristown Police Department (235 E Airy, rear). TAKE BACK DAY. Turn in unused or expired medications for safe disposal in the Norristown Police Department Lobby. Sponsored by the Montgomery County District Attorney & Police Chiefs. (If you can't make that day, there's a disposal container in the lobby~bring your meds anytime).

Martha's Choice Marketplace, 353 E Johnson Highway (St Paul's Church) will hold their Fall Harvest Fest on November 3, 6-8 pm. They're looking for vendors~non-profits or local restaurants. If interested, contact Eli Wenger at ewnger@chs-adphila.org. Space is limited so contact them now.

The Norristown Preservation Society will be hosting their 1st Annual Holiday Craft Show at Selma Mansion on November 19th. They're looking for vendors. $15 a spot or 2 for $25. Must supply own table. This will be held inside the mansion. Santa and Christmas Carolers will be making a visit. To reserve a vendor space, call or text Dee Kirkpatrick at 484-860-2533. Also, mark your calendars for the annual Haunted House at Selma on October 29. Details in the coming weeks.  

Music, Ghosts and Lots More

AGAIN, a big variety of fun and informative things to do around town this week. Music, a benefit marathon, a Public Works Town Hall, Ghost Tours at Selma, etc. Plus Fire Prevention Week starts Sunday. The NFD will be doing smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector blitzes of selected blocks, fire drills at the schools, and Firesmart at the zoo. Talk to your family about how to escape from your house and meet outside in the event of a fire. It's important.

Today, Friday, Oct 7, 8 am-10 am. National Coffee with A Cop Day. The NPD will offer free coffee and conversation in the parking lot behind the police station at 235 E Airy. Stop by for your morning java.

Friday night, 7:30-10:30 pm at Five Saints Distillery (Green and Main), Lenny Martinelli will perform (Norristown native and Nashville recording artist). Free admission. The Butler will provide burgers, wings and more from 5-9 pm.

Saturday, 9 am at the Norristown Farm Park (Whitehall Rd). 3rd Annual Sole Harvest 5K Run/Walk, benefiting the Norristown Ministries Hospitality Center (530 Church St). Register at this link. Fee $20-$35. Contact Denise, Volunteer Race Director, 610-275-4585, poboxhall@gmail.com.  http://www.hospitalitycenter.org/soleharvest5k/

Saturday, 10 am-3:30 pm, downtown, Norristown Car Show (I've also seen this listed for the 15th, so maybe call first). Awards presented at 2:30 pm. Price is $10 for early registration and $15 day of show. Registration 9-11 am day of show. Benefits Norristown Parks & Rec. For more info, please contact: Frank Pileggi or Bill Plichta 610-270-0467.

Saturday, 6-10 pm, Ghost Tours at Selma Mansion. Quiet, candlelit tours of the mansion featuring its history and infamous ghost tales. Adults $5, Children 5-12, veterans and seniors, $3; Active military, Norristown Police and Fire personnel, FREE with ID. All proceeds benefit the restoration of the mansion. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Saturday, 2-9 pm, The Perky BBQ Truck will be out front of Five Saints, and from 7-11 pm, Matt Plaisted, acoustic artist, will perform. For a complete listing of Five Saints events, go to this link. 

Saturday, 8-10:45 pm at August Moon, 2nd Saturday Jazz featuring the Barbara Walker Story. Sets on the hour. Soulful, funky, jazz-infused. Presented by Crying Sam Entertainment.

Monday, Oct 3 through Nov. 2, The Norristown Police Department will be collecting winter hats and gloves for boys and girls in need at 3 locations: The NPD at 235 E Airy, Redemption 1010 Church (308 Stanbridge) and Starbucks (413 Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting).

Mondays for the next 6 weeks, 5-6:30 pm and 6:45-8:15 pm.. Montgomery County OIC (Arch and Basin) will begin their fall Spanish in the Workplace series. The early session is for beginners, later for returning students. Cost of the full course is $50. First come first serve. To register or for more information, call 610-279-9700.

Tuesday, 6-7:30 pm, Municipal Hall. Public Works Town Hall. Opportunity for residents to meet the new Director of Public Works, Thomas Odenigbo, and to find out about strategies the department has for the fall and winter seasons. The discussion will include leaf collection, snow plan and trash issues. Please RSVP by email gprete@norristown.org

Tuesday, 7 pm, Municipal Hall, Planning Commission Meeting. (Yes, scheduled at same time as the Town Hall above ~ should be interesting.)

Tuesdays in October at 6 pm at the Norristown Library (Powell and Swede) ~ Nutrition Matters presented by Komal Shah from Penn State Extension. Begins Oct 11, but you need to register. Please visit or call the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library Reference Desk at 610-278-5100 ext 2.

Wednesday, 1 pm at the Norristown Library, in the 2nd floor Board Room. FREE movie matinee, "Money Monster," starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Click on the Library link at the right for more Library events.

Thursdays, 5-10 pm at Five Saints Distilling. Open Mic.

Thursday, 5 pm at the Historical Society (Dekalb and Roberts). Abandoned America by photographer Matt Christopher. History of the dismantling of the state hospital system. The program is FREE. For more info, contact Barry Rauhauser, 610-272-0297, barryr@hsmcpa.org.

Thursday, 7:30 pm, The musical "A New Brain" opens at Theatre Horizon (401 Dekalb). Thursday is a Pay-What-You-Can preview. Other performances next week are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm. Tickets on sale at this link . The show will run October 13 through November 6.

Next Saturday, either 10-2 pm or noon-5 pm (both listed on town calendar), Firesmart at Elmwood Park Zoo presented by the Norristown Fire Dept. Fire Smart is a family-friendly day filled with activities to promote fire safety and prevention. This year's activities include a meet and greet with Norristown firefighters, police officers and EMTs, opportunities for children to dress up as a firefighter, operate a fire hose, tour a fire truck, and much more.

Martha's Choice Marketplace, 353 E Johnson Highway (St Paul's Church) will hold their Fall Harvest Fest on November 3, 6-8 pm. They're looking for vendors~non-profits or local restaurants. If interested, contact Eli Wenger at ewnger@chs-adphila.org. Space is limited so contact them now.

The Norristown Preservation Society will be hosting their 1st Annual Holiday Craft Show at Selma Mansion on November 19th. They're looking for vendors. $15 a spot or 2 for $25. Must supply own table. This will be held inside the mansion. Santa and Christmas Carolers will be making a visit. To reserve a vendor space, call or text Dee Kirkpatrick at 484-860-2533. Also, mark your calendars for the annual Haunted House at Selma on October 29. Details in the coming weeks.