Voting in PA in Times of COVID19

On June 2, Pennsylvania will hold its primary election. Some of you will say, "What does it matter? The presidential nominees have already been decided." But if you want to vote against either of those choices, there are choices on both parties' ballots (I'll cover them in another blog). There are other offices on the ballot, too. No choices on the GOP Ballot, but Democrats have choices for Auditor General and State Senator.

But you may also be saying you don't feel safe going to the polls this year with a virus on the loose. No problem. This year in PA, you can vote by mail. It's like an absentee ballot, but you don't need a reason for absence. Every registered voter can do it.

Some people think absentee ballots aren't counted. Not true. I've worked at the local precinct on voting day and I can tell you that we stay late and count absentee ballots every time. This year workers will stay even later and count all the mail-in ballots. And election workers this year would RATHER be counting mail-in ballots than see voters who might potentially be carriers of COVID19 in person. It's going to be a 15-hour day for them at least, and despite masks, face shields and gloves, there will be few breaks for hand-washing. So do them a favor and, if you haven't already, apply for a mail-in ballot.

Here's how: First go to https://www.votespa.com/Voting-in-PA/Pages/Mail-and-Absentee-Ballot.aspx. Click on "Apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot." Follow the instructions. If you have a PA Drivers License #, you can request an ballot online. Easy. The State sends the request to your county, who'll look you up and approve or not approve your request (you might have to register to vote first, which you can also do on that website). If you're approved, a ballot will be mailed to you. They just started sending out ballots this week, so if you already applied, you'll likely have your ballot soon.

You have until May 18th to register to vote and until May 26th to request a mail-in ballot. Ballots must be received at your courthouse by June 2 at 8 pm. DO NOT bring them to your polling place. Don't wait until the last minute to do any of the above. PLEASE use Vote-By-Mail, for everyone's safety, your own and your family's included. If you insist on voting in person, WEAR A MASK to your polling place and this year, DON'T BRING YOUR CHILDREN. I love to see parents teaching their kids how voting is done, but this year it's too dangerous. Some kids who get COVID are getting a dangerous inflammation of the bloodstream with it. Come alone and observe physical distancing guidelines.

POLLING LOCATIONS
Some polling locations will change this year. Montgomery County will probably be using schools as locations because they're already closed. If you usually vote in a school, probably no change. They'll be deciding by May 11, and then I'll post the link where you can find your polling location. But hey, it won't matter if you sign-up for Vote-By-Mail.

I made the difficult decision this year not to work this election. I love doing it, but this year it's a job for younger, healthier people. If you're currently not working and need some extra money, the Montgomery County courthouse is looking for pollworkers. If you're interested, go to https://www.montcopa.org/759/Pollworkers for more information.

Election Time Again ~ Sample Ballot

The fall election is a week from Tuesday, on November 5. Those of you who voted last time remember that Montgomery County has switched to a new ballot system, with voters marking a paper ballot with a Sharpie, then feeding it through a scanner themselves to cast their vote.

Why did they switch? The state mandated that all counties get a system that creates a paper ballot that can be recounted by 2020. Our new system is much less tamperproof method than the last. The voter-marked ballot is a primary document not created by a separate machine. Still, if you're unable to fill in a paper ballot due to medical conditions (visual disability, shaking hands, etc.), each polling location has a machine that the disabled can use to create a marked paper ballot. The voter will still scan it themselves.

If you didn't vote last time, I encourage you to come out for this election to try out the new method BEFORE next year's presidential elections. This year, poll workers will have time to answer your questions. Next year, probably not.

So let's look at a sample ballot for this election, in my example pictured, it's Norristown 3-1. (You can find your ballot at this link.  Simply choose your town, then your polling place).

This time around it's TWO-sided: elected offices and a constitutional question on the front. And retention of judges questions on the back (pictured below). 

We've been told that, even if the Sharpie bleeds through the card, when you scan it, your votes will still register correctly because the circles aren't lined up on the front and back of the ballot. And it doesn't matter how you feed in the ballot (either side up, top or bottom first), it will still register.

If you want to vote straight party, that's the first question. Choose the party of your choice and you don't have to fill in the rest of the elected offices (the machine will automatically choose all candidates in the party of your choice). However, you WILL still have to answer the constitutional question on the front and the yes-and-no judges' questions on the back.

If you want to vote straight party except for one or two offices, simply mark the straight party box, then go to the office where you're voting for the other party, mark ALL the candidates you want in that race (for instance, let's say you vote straight Republican, but you want to vote for 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats for School Board—you need to fill out ALL the School Board candidates you want).

One thing that's different from the old voting machines: Back then, if you voted straight party, you could un-vote a candidate running unopposed and basically abstain from that office. You can't do that now. If you don't want to vote for an unopposed candidate, yet vote straight party, WRITE IN another name under that candidate and fill in the circle beside the name you wrote.

Your ballot will no longer be returned by the scanner if you undervote (that is, leave an office or question blank), so proofread your ballot to make sure it's as complete as you want it to be. If you overvote (fill in too many choices for any office), you'll have the choice of getting your ballot back and starting over so you can fix it, or having the scanner negate your vote for the overvoted offices only and otherwise casting your ballot.

It's less complicated than I've made it sound, but like I said, vote this year when we'll have time to help you if you need it.

I'll post more blogs this week about the offices on the ballot and the question.

Not Voting On May 21st? Here's Why You Should

And it has little to do with who's on the ballot. 

A large majority of Montco voters usually choose not to exercise their right to vote in odd-year elections. When the offices are so local that no one hears political ads on TV for the candidates, a lot of voters sometimes have no idea an election is even scheduled.

But this election will be different for Montgomery County residents. Here are 2 sample ballots (You can find your sample ballot at this link.):

If you've voted in the last 20 years, you might note how different these ballots look from what you've seen on the voting machine screens. They're portrait instead of landscape, for one thing. And the illustration shows a hand holding a pen. That's right, for the first time since probably World War II, Montgomery County voters will be handed a PAPER ballot.

You'll be directed to a privacy booth where you'll fill out the ballot manually with a pen. Then you'll take your ballot to a scanning machine and feed the ballot in. When you've cast your vote, the tally is added to a memory card. The paper ballot is saved in a bin under the machine where it can then be used for recounts, if necessary, after the election.

Before accepting your ballot, the machine checks that you've chosen at least one candidate for each office. If you haven't, for each office that you left blank or didn't choose enough candidates, it will ask if you meant to do that. If you didn't, you can get your ballot back, correct it and rescan.

If you've chosen MORE candidates for an office than allowed (say, if you filled 3 ovals under County Commissioner where it only asks for 2), the machine will catch that too, but it's not so easy to correct. You have to start over with a fresh ballot and your other will be voided by a poll worker. If you're in a hurry, you COULD chose to cast the rest of your votes anyway, but that one incorrect vote won't be counted.

See how much fun this is going to be? You don't want to miss this election (think of this year's elections as practice sessions -- you don't want to go through this for the first time next year during the presidential elections).

Here are some ways to help make this process go smoothly:

1. Make sure you're handed the correct ballot for your political party affiliation (only Democrats and Republicans can vote in the primary. Independents, Non-Partisans, and Green Party have to wait until November).

2. Don't tear anything off of your ballot.

3. Don't fold your ballot.

4. Read the entire candidate list for each office before making choices.

5. Fill in the oval beside your choice COMPLETELY. Don't mark with only an X or a check.

6. Only choose the number of candidates you're allowed to choose. You can choose less if you want. You can also write in names if you want.

7. You'll be handed a manila folder for privacy to carry your ballot in when walking to the privacy booth, then to the scanner. HAND the folder AND pen to the machine operator before leaving the building. Each poll location only gets a couple dozen pens. If voters walk out with the pens, they disenfranchise voters coming to vote after them.


So, come vote on May 21 (7 am-8 pm) and try out the new paper ballot system. Be patient with poll workers. This will be their first time with this system, too.

You'll note that candidates for County Commissioner are on this ballot. They're the ones who chose this system. Let them know what you think with your vote (but be careful to research your choices, you could be voting for someone much worse).

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.

County Courthouse Candidates

Here are some of the rest of the candidates for races in tomorrow's election. In my opinion, some of these shouldn't be elected offices, they should be hired instead--the clerical ones, for instance. They shouldn't have anything to do with party politics. If we have individuals in those posts doing them well, their jobs shouldn't be endangered every few years simply because, as behind-the-scenes workers, voters don't know their names. But our state has an archaic system. So I've at least tried to explain the offices and indicate if one of the candidates is an incumbent and what qualifications, if any, the opponent has.


Clerk of Courts -- This person is the chief clerk of criminal cases. Her office maintains the records of all cases and collects court costs, restitution, bail money, etc.

Ann Thornburg Weiss is the incumbent Clerk of Courts, serving 2 terms so far. She's streamlined the system and collected more than a million dollars in old fees from as far back as 1986.

Jason Showmaker is currently Rockledge Borough Council President and a banking analyst


Controller is the office that oversees all fiscal affairs of the county, including payroll, accounts payable, retirement, and audits. Neither candidate is the incumbent, and neither seems to have any hands-on accounting experience. I think I'm probably more qualified for this office than either of these two.

Karen Geld Sanchez is a business lawyer with an MBA.

Tom Zipfel is an attorney and current President of the Board of Commissioners of Hatfield Township.


Coroner -- This is the office in charge of determining cause of death in cases where the death is unexpected, especially if it's violent, or suspected suicide or homicide, certain hospital deaths, anytime the cause is a mystery, or if the next of kin requests an autopsy. In Pennsylvania, the only requirements for the office of coroner is that you have to be a voter and breathing. It's a shame, really, because forensic science has come so far in the last 50 years, that you'd think the richest county in America would have state-of-the-art requirements for the office. I had the pleasure of meeting our current coroner, Walter Hoffman, last month. Most residents never knew it, but Dr.Hoffman did us proud. He's a board-certified Forensic Pathologist, the only one serving as coroner in the state. He's also consulted as a forensic pathologist for the states of New Jersey and Florida. He's performed over 10,000 autopsies and examined twice as many bodies. He's an amazing man. But he's retiring. Fortunately, both candidates running for Coroner are, at least, doctors, though neither seem to have any pathology experience at all, let alone forensics. I'd hope that, whichever one wins, he'll seek training in the area. Also fortunately, the Coroner's current staff includes, I think, 2 certified forensic pathologists and other experienced personnel.

Michael Millbourne is a Cardiovascular Disease specialist at Chestnut Hill Hospital. Bio at this link.

Phil Mandato is a board-certified anesthesiologist at Grandview hospital. His resume is at this link. Insists on being called "Dr. Phil."


District Attorney -- This is the office that investigates and prosecutes all criminal activity in the county. Neither is the incumbent but both are qualified.

Kevin Steele is the current First Assistant District Attorney for the county (2nd in command to the DA). He's been with the Montco DA's Office since 1995.

Bruce Castor served as District Attorney in the county from 2000-08. He's currently a Montgomery County Commissioner.


Prothonotary -- Chances are, unless you've had to change your name or gotten a divorce or gone to the courthouse for a passport, you have no idea what a prothonotary does. He's essentially the clerk in charge of civil courts and procedures. He needs to have a love of paperwork.

Mark Levy is the current county Prothonotary and had served since 2007. He's been instrumental in the shift from paper to electronic court records.

Bill Whiteside is currently serving on Horsham Township Council. He's a former special administrator in the Prothonotary's office.


Recorder of Deeds maintains all the county's land ownership records and the monthly accounting of real estate transfers taxes and county/state fees. They currently operate at a profit and so are self-sustaining and don't use other taxpayer dollars.

Jeanne Sorg - Currently the Mayor of Ambler. Couldn't find out much more.

Nancy Becker is the incumbent. She's served as Recorder of Deeds for 3 terms. I personally had dealings with her while settling my dad's estate and I thought she was gracious, professional and efficient.


Sheriff -- This department is the law enforcement arm of the county court system. Basically, the Sheriff is responsible to see that judges' orders are carried out. His office serves supeonas and bench warrants, they go after people who don't show up for hearings or fail to pay family support or other court-administered debts. They escort prisoners to and from the Courthouse. They run Sheriff's Auctions for failure to pay property taxes.

Russell Bono is our current Sheriff. He has served as Norristown Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety. He has a long resume in law enforcement that you can read at his website. He lives in East Norriton.

Sean Kilkenny is a lawyer who served as Norristown borough solicitor (meaning he advised Council and the department heads of the legality of proposed actions). He's currently President of Jenkintown's borough council. He's the son of a police officer and a veteran of the US Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. His website is at this link.


County Treasurer -- The custodian of county funds. Different from the Controller in that he handles investments, etc.

Jason Salus is the current Treasurer for the county and has served in that post since 2011. He has a degree in finance and an MBA. See http://www.jasonsalus.com/ for his accomplishments while in office.

Chuck Wilson is a CPA with 20 years experience doing corporate accounting and finances. He's currently chairman of the Towamencin Board of Supervisors.


So that's it. Get out and vote so the good people can keep their jobs and the unqualified ones don't get in. If you vote at Eisenhower School, I'll be working at the 3-3 table. Stop by and say hello.

ELECTION: School Board, Judges, Commissioners

So, maybe you read my Diary yesterday and decided you should go vote next Tuesday. Then you pulled up your sample ballot and the sheer number of decisions you'll have to make in the voting booth gave you second thoughts. Yes, it's a long ballot this time. And most of us don't know much about the candidates other than as names on pieces of junk mail or political signs or, in the cases of some judges, names in mud-slinging ads on TV.  If you're going to vote for someone simply because you recognize their name, or vote for or against them because of TV ads, you might as well stay home.

Here are some of the offices and the candidates running for them. I've listed background and experience info from their websites or that I heard directly from them if I met them in person. I included links to their websites if they have one. Just click on their names.

NASD SCHOOL BOARD (vote for 5). Some of these candidates are running under both parties.

George Kennedy - Lives in East Norriton. Only listed on the Democratic ballot. Retired teacher who has years of experience in elementary up through college level teaching. Worked for Conrail before teaching and feels that gives him experience keeping within a budget.

Louis W. Mason - From Conshohocken, now living in West Norriton. Retired teacher--36 years in education. Taught all levels and also was a principal in Chester Schools.

Michael Melnyck - Currently on School Board. Lives in East Norriton. Parent of NASD student. Works as Service Manager.

Janice Pearce - Currently on School Board. Has been on board for 12 years. Lives in Norristown. Retired school librarian. Worked in NASD schools for 34 years, 27 of which was at high school. Specialty in Special Ed. She's also a grant writer.

Sandra White - Lives in West Norriton. Has worked 35 years in the Insurance industry. Did not mention education experience at the candidates' forum last spring.

Tiffani Hendley - Lives in Norristown. Parent of NASD student. Currently enrolled as education major at Harkum College.


MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (vote for 2)

Josh Shapiro - Currently a County Commissioner. Also serves as chairman of the PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency. Previous was a State Representative. Lives in Abington Township.

Steve Tolbert, Jr. - Teaches Economics and Finance at St. Joe's University. Serves in the US Army Reserve--is a veteran of the Iraq War (2007-08). Resides in West Norriton Township.

Val Arkoosh - Currently serving as Commissioner, though appointed, not elected, filling the seat Leslie Richards vacated to serve on the PA cabinet. No information on her website other than that she's a doctor. Lives in Springfield Township.

Joseph Gale - Works as a loan specialist in the housing industry. Has worked in the County Recorder of Deeds office. Youngest candidate at 25. Lives in Lansdale.


COURT OF COMMON PLEAS JUDGE (vote for 3). These are the judges at our Courthouse who hear most criminal and civil cases.

Rise Vetri Ferman - Montgomery County District Attorney since 2008. Born in Philadelphia. Grew up in Abington and still lives there. Worked as a prosecutor the last 22 years.

Dan Clifford - Trial lawyer. Family law litigator for more than 30 years. Appeared before Common Pleas judges in 13 counties (including each of the 20 judges on the Montgomery County bench) and on appeals before the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Lives in Springfield Township. 

Stephen Heckman - Chief Public Defender of Montgomery County for 4 years until 2012, Assistant Public Defender for 13 years before that. Currently a litigator in his own law firm. Lives in Upper Dublin.

Natasha Taylor-Smith - Trial attorney for almost 20 years. Currently representing the county in contract and real estate issues. Philadelphia native. Resident of Cheltenham.

Todd Eisenberg - Lives in Lower Moreland. Instructor of trial advocacy for Temple and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Works in a voluntary capacity for the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Project, representing children in PFA hearings, dependency matters and as a witness in criminal cases.

Gregory Cirillo - From Lower Merion. A lot of sentences on his Facebook bio, but "litigator of complex legal cases" and "court of Common Pleas arbitrator" were as specific as I could find. He seems to have no website so the link is for his Facebook page.

JUDGE OF SUPREME COURT OF PA (vote for 3). These judges mainly do appeals. The positions are usually filled by judges who have served on lower courts.

Anne Covey - Currently a judge on the Commonwealth Court. Office is in Doylestown.

Mike George - Currently the President Judge of the Adams County Court of Common Pleas. Lives near  Gettysburg.

Judy Olson - Superior Court Judge since 2009. From Pittsburgh area.

David Wecht - Superior Court Judge since 2012. Court of Common Pleas before that since 2003. From Pittsburgh.

Christine Donahue - Superior Court Judge since 2007. From Pittsburgh. 

Kevin Dougherty - Currently Administrative Judge in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.



Hope that helps. I'll try to list some more of the candidates here before Tuesday's election.

Every Election Counts

Why should you vote on November 3rd? Usually off-year elections are poorly attended because no one cares who ends up as, say, Register of Wills.

The two candidates running for this office are D. Bruce Hanes and Sharon Valentine-Thomas.

Hanes is the incumbent. He made national news when he issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2013, arguing that "his oath to uphold the state’s constitution required him to issue the licenses given that the constitution guarantees equal treatment under the law."

Valentine-Thomas has stated that she "will not personally issue any same sex marriage licenses" if she wins the race. She stated that "she will seek court permission to allow the licenses to be issued by a subordinate." She apparently doesn't think the state constitution applies to her.

I have to wonder if she'd only limit her refusal to perform her duties to marriage licenses. If one partner in a same-sex marriage dies and the other comes in to register the estate, will Thomas refuse to sign those papers, too? And each time that estate executor/administrator comes back in for more forms (I had to go in 3 times for my dad's estate), will he or she be subject to discrimination over and over? Will Thomas refuse to sign documents for people of other religions different from hers since she seems to think her religion gives her a right not to perform her duties. What if Jews want to get married, or Muslims, or atheists?

My feeling is that if you want to be hired for ANY position, you ought to willing to perform ALL the duties of that position. If not, go look for another job. We taxpayers have enough problems with elected officials who refuse to work. For instance, the US House of Representatives.

So I'm endorsing Mr. Hanes. If Ms. Thomas DOES get elected, I'll be starting a petition to dock her pay for the work she refuses to do.

It may seem like a boring local election, but you never know who might get into office simply because voters didn't care and didn't show up. A little county job like Register of Wills might seem unimportant compared to voting for President, but when you walk into one of those County offices, you may be the one discriminated against next.

Please get out and vote next Tuesday. To find out where to vote and see your sample ballot, go to this link.

A PARK(ing) Day Do-It-Yourself Manual

PARK(ing) Day is Friday. No, I didn't spell it wrong. In 2005, a design firm took over a parking space for 2 hours. They fed the meter, but instead of parking a vehicle, they laid down sod and turned the spot into a public park.

Now (from the website) "PARK(ing) Day is a annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into 'PARK(ing)' spaces: temporary public places...PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement, with organizations and individuals...creating new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts around the world... Paying the meter of a parking space enables one to lease precious urban real estate on a short-term basis. The PARK(ing) project was created to explore the the range of possible activities for this short-term lease, and to provoke a critical examination of the values that generate the form of urban public space."

This Friday, Montgomery County and Norristown Municipality are taking over parking spaces on Main in front of the Courthouse. Here are things I find myself wondering about that: Will they pay the kiosk for their time? What will they do if someone's already parked in the spaces? Or will they spend tax money putting up No Parking signs to reserve the spaces for themselves? That goes against the whole point of the event. You're supposed to find an empty space--it's not supposed to be easy. Reserving the spaces is cheating.

It's also not supposed to be a government event, but totally grassroots. Montgomery County Planning Commission put an event on Facebook as if they're hosting the event. Norristown's Facebook page says their space "will feature Local Artists & Art Organizations, walking tours of the Philadelphia Museum of Art ‪#‎InsideOut‬ program! The event takes place on Main Street in front of Montgomery County Courthouse in conjunction with GVF, Montgomery County Planning Commission and others! Stop down between 9am-2pm."

I can picture a Dragon Boat in a space. 

This is wrong. The event is anytime Friday that anyone can find a space in an urban setting (in Norristown, figure anywhere downtown or on West Marshall where there are metered spaces). If you find a free space, you can use that parking space for the length of time that you feed the meter. You don't need the government's permission as long as you follow the law in every other way.

So think about it. How would you turn a parking space into a public park? If you decide to transform a parking space on your own, let me know. I'll come by to take a photo and help you feed the meter.

Commissioners Town Hall-Late Notice

Thanks to Linda Christian for sending out information about tonight's "Conversations with your Commissioners" at 7 pm at Norristown Borough Hall (235 East Airy St). So the holes in the information on the Norristown.org calendar have been filled in the nick of time.

This is the 3rd in a series of 6 town hall meetings by the Montgomery County Commissioners, supposedly to give residents of the county the opportunity to discuss a wide range of subjects. However, they publicized this one so late, I'm not sure how big their audience will be.

The Commissioners came to Norristown last year for a similar town meeting.  At that time, they set it up so that residents who couldn't attend in person could send their questions in via the internet. No place that I've checked (the County website, Facebook) says anything about an email or live streaming connection this time, so I guess they aren't doing that again. Disappointed because I probably won't be able to get to the meeting due to not hearing about it in time.

This meeting was very poorly advertised. It wasn't posted on Facebook until just last Friday that I could find. The press release on the County site (link above) was also dated March 13. The first place I saw it listed was on the Norristown.org calendar on Friday, and as I said in that day's events blog, no time was included.

So if you can get there tonight, please go. Ask them why this meeting was a big secret until last Friday. If I can't get there and you want to send me a summary of what goes on, I'd be happy to post it here on the Diary later this week.

Electronics Recycling

Got things like old broken cell phones or TVs or printers taking up space around your house? This is the week to get rid of them.

This Saturday (June 7th) from 9 am to 3 pm, the Montgomery County Recycling Program will host an Electronics Collection at Norristown Area High School (enter from Whitehall Road). You can download information at this link -- the 2nd page lists all the items they'll accept, but here's a rough summary:

Any kind of TV
Computers, laptops (hard drive will be shredded for security)
Anything that attaches to computers (printers, keyboards, mice, monitors, etc.)
Copiers, fax machines, electronic office equipment
Anything that attaches to TVs (DVD, VCR, game consoles, etc.)
Audio equipment and attachments
Telephones, chargers, etc.
Small appliances (toasters, microwaves, blenders, vacuums, etc.)
Portable or window A/C units and dehumidifiers
Mini-refrigerators

If it plugs in or is charged by something that plugs in, and it's small enough to get into a typical car, you're probably safe in bringing it. Remember to take things like paper out of printers and CDs and video tapes out of players. DON'T bring light bulbs or smoke detectors.

If you haven't been to one of these collection events, everything you need to know is at the MontCo Electronics Recycling website. The drive-thru drop-offs are really easy, but expect to wait in line, especially in the morning. (Last week's hazardous waste collection took about 30 minutes.)

Some notices have been passed around Facebook saying the collection is Sunday, June 29th. This is wrong. June 29th was last years' collection (on a Saturday, as usual) and likely the dates got mixed up. There IS NO collection on June 29th. MontCo recycling events are always on Saturday.

Now, let me go gather all my old electric typewriters....

Theater, Music, Career Oppotunities, Hazardous Waste and More

Barrymore Award recommended!

The usual weekly events can be found on the Town and Norristown Project Calendars (links to these to these in the righthand column). Below are the special events for the week.

Tonight from 6:30 to 8 pm, Beagle Tavern (1003 East Main) is hosting a Montco Marriage Equality Toast. Come celebrate. (21+ only).

You can still get tickets for tonight's 8 pm performance of "Hitchcock's The 39 Steps" at Theatre Horizon (DeKalb and Penn Sts.). That's saying a lot because Saturday's 8 pm and Sunday's 2 pm shows are SOLD OUT. They've added a 7 pm show Sunday (June 1). After that there are only 5 more chances to see the play (which has earned a recommendation for the 2014 Barrymore Awards): Monday at 7:30, a Wednesday matinee at 1:30 pm, next Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and next Sunday (June 8) at 2 pm. Tickets range: $20-31. See the Theatre Horizon website for information or call 610-283-2230.

Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm, Montgomery County will be collecting household hazardous waste at Norristown Area High School. Items you should bring: gasoline, oil, kerosene, turpentine, paint thinner, oil paint, stains, varnish, pool chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, antifreeze, caustic cleaners and solvents, mercury, thermometers, flares, fire extinguishers, lead acid batteries, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent tube light bulbs, and CFL bulbs. For complete information, go to the Montco website for the event. An Electronics Collection event is scheduled for next Saturday, June 7, same location. Info about that next week.

Sunday morning from 10:30 am to 1 pm, Coffee Talk (507 W Marshall) will host an Open Mic. This will continue the first Sunday of each month. Donation $5.

Sunday at 6 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo is hosting "Say I Do at the Zoo" wedding showcase, a bridal expo  with dozens of local vendors. Admission is a suggestion donation of $5 and includes hor d'oeuvres and 2 drinks per person (21+ only). Go to http://elmwoodparkzoo.org/event/115 to RSVP and for a list of vendors.

Sunday night at 7 pm: Summer Concert Series presents Dean Garofolo (Elvis), at Elmwood Park bandshell. Sponsored by The Arcadia Foundation. Food/drinks available at the snack stand. Any questions call 610-270-0467.

The Community Meeting scheduled at Jus Java for Monday evening has been cancelled.

Tuesday from 9 am to 1 pm, there will be a MEGA Manufacturing Youth Summit for high school juniors and seniors at the Montgomery County Community College Science Center Auditorium. This seminar will encouraged teens to consider a career in manufacturing by letting them know what the industry has to offer. Registration is a must. Contact Carol Kelly NOW at ckelly@meainfo.org .

Tuesday at 7:30 in Municipal Hall, Municipal Council meeting. No agenda yet.

Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm, the Norristown Farmer's Market starts up again on East Main, in front of Montgomery County Courthouse. Hosted by CADCOMM. A few people last year told me they were turned away because they were told this was only for those with very low income. I was recently told this was not supposed to be the case. If anyone goes, please let me know what the deal is.

"The Fantasticks" opens next Friday, June 6th, at the Centre Theater (208 DeKalb) with an 8 pm performance. I'll have more info next week, but in the meantime, you can go to http://thecentretheater.ticketleap.com/ for ticket information.

Theater, Good Scotch and Don't Forget To Vote

The Norristown Project and Montco OIC upgraded their community calendar for easier reading. Check their link in the righthand column, and the link for the municipal calendar, for events not listed below.

Start your Friday evening at a Scotch Tasting from 6 to 8 pm at Centre Theater. Tickets are $50 each or two for $90. All proceeds go to the Centre Theater. For more information, click here. For tickets, call Robert Polsky at 610-585-9082 or email A4quad@comcast.net .

Friday night at 7 pm, Coffee Talk (507 W. Marshall) presents local educator Larry Reed in "Historic Norristown As Seen Through Old Photographs." Admission, $5. Call 610-272-4811 for info.

I saw "Hitchcock's 39 Steps" at Theatre Horizon (401 Dekalb St.) last night. It's extremely funny and entertaining, doubly so if you're a Hitchcock fan. The cast is amazing and full of energy. I highly recommend it. Tonight's show starts at 8 pm and is just up the street from the Centre Theater, so you can walk there if you've been sipping Scotch the 2 hours before (make a theater night of it). Best parking is at the end of Penn St., near the theater entrance. Other performances this week: Saturday at 8 pm, Sunday at 2 pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm. Wednesday is Norristown Night--members of the cast and creative team will be answering questions and leading a conversation about the play's themes immediately following this performance. Norristown residents can get in FREE to selected performances. Please contact Audience Services Manager Lyndsey Piecyk  at 610-283-2230 for more information and reservations.

Saturday starting at 8 am, multi-family yard sale on the 1500 block of Powell Street.

Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm, the Master Gardeners of Penn State will hold their annual Plant Sale at 1015 Bridge Rd in Collegeville. I mention it here because Penn State has presented wonderful free gardening workshops at the Norristown Library this past winter. The plant sale benefits the Master Gardener program (so maybe they'll be able to come back to the library next year). They'll have all kinds of herbs, vegetables, annuals and perennials and garden items. For more info, go to this link.

Also from 9 am to 2 pm on Saturday, Montgomery Co. Recycling is holding a rain barrel and compost bin sale at Montco Community College, 340 Dekalb Pike (enter on Morris Rd). I bought one of each a couple years ago from Montco--they're quality items and you can save at least 50% off the list price. Checks and credit cards only. No cash. Info at 610-278-3618. Just make sure you have a good-sized trunk and back seat. They're bigger than you expect them to be.

Tuesday is primary election day. We'll be voting for the candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, US Congress Rep, and State Representative. Polls open at 7. Click here to find your polling place.  To see a sample ballot, click here, choose "Norristown", then click on your Ward.

The Municipal Council meeting will be Wednesday night instead of Tuesday this week because of election day. 7:30 pm. No agenda yet.

CleanUpNorristown Week is actually a 10-day stretch from May 21 through the 30th.The Norristown Project will host various cleanup projects in the community each day. Residents around Norristown are encouraged to volunteer by either attending one of our projects or by doing gardening or other clean up around your own home. Next Saturday, May 24th at 9am - Elmwood Park Community Cleanup. Sunday, May 25th at 2pm - Riverfront Park Community Cleanup. If you're on Twitter or Facebook, post each day about what you're doing to keep Norristown beautiful.

Next weekend, May 24 and 25, the Norristown Business association and the Dragon Boat Club of Norristown will host a Flea Market in the lot at Airy and Dekalb from 8 am to 3 pm. Vendors interested in reserving a spot, please send an email this week to info@dragonboatclub.org. Space rental is $20 a day, or both days for $30. Bring your own tables, tents and chairs. A vendor space is equal to 2 parking spots and you'll be able to park your car right next to your space for easy unloading.

County Conversation Summary

Last Thursday was the Town Hall with the County Commissioners. As I said, the turnout was decent, and they said about another 50 people participated through Google Hangout. The 3 commissioners sat at the long table in Municipal Hall--the setup looked as if they were testifying before Congress, but we were assured that it was only so the camera could get them all in.

They began by introducing themselves and the area of concern for each. Josh Shapiro, the chairman, talked about the county's role in human services, particularly for seniors, business and economic development.

Leslie Richards, the vice chair, talked about transportation--the Lafayette Street corridor, the Markley Street project, and improvement to the Main Street parking garage. Also, she said that the courthouse would undergo renovations to save energy and water. She cited Arborheights on Dekalb as a tremendous success, probably not realizing that much of Norristown doesn't even know about that project, and that a lot of people who DO know think it's too dense and hope something like that never ever comes to their neighborhoods.

Bruce Castor is the expert on the county's public safety issues. I've toured the Chester County 911 facility (which is state-of-the-art and pretty impressive) and I assumed Montgomery County had a similar setup. From what Castor was saying, we apparently aren't quite there yet, but are making improvements. When you call the police, the call goes to 911 automatically, which is supposed to coordinate and track emergencies around the county in real time, in case extra resources need to be diverted to one spot in a hurry, or for fire and rescue efforts, or when police departments need to be coordinated for cases like child luring. Castor said our County Radio is being upgraded, and we're close to crime mapping in real time (Chester County has this already).

Then people started to ask questions and present concerns, and I learned a few things I didn't know. For instance, even if a student has lived in the county nearly all of his/her life, and gone through our schools--even if the student has gotten outstanding grades--if that child was brought here an as infant by undocumented parents, the student isn't treated by our community college as a resident of Montgomery County, or even as a resident of the Pennsylvania or the United States. The college treats that student as someone newly coming in from a foreign country. It's actually cheaper for that student to go to Philadelphia Community College than to Montco. Now, I know some of you are thinking that this is the way it should work, but you'd be wrong. Most of these kids don't find out they aren't citizens until they apply to college--and it's through no fault of their own. We should want to keep our best and brightest students in our county, to bring business here after they graduate. The commissioners seem to understand this and said they'd make sure the current policies change.

There was a concern about power outtages--that they're getting longer, that most people can't call 911 during an outtage, and that poor or even middle class residents don't have fireplaces and can't afford generators. Castor said it was too cost prohibitive to bury all electrical lines so the key was to keep trees trimmed back from power lines. He said non-portable, corded phones would still work in outtages. That's where he's wrong. The new fiber optic systems run on electricity with a battery backup that only lasts about 8 hours (though, supposedly the newest systems use an ordinary 12-volt battery which you can replace, giving yourself an extra 8 hours each). I still had copper wires during Hurricane Sandy, so I was the only person among my friends and family who had a working phone, but the phone company let the wires deteriorate so much that the noise on the wire forced me to get FIOS (or maybe they're putting noise on the line on purpose, to get people to switch), so now I too lose my phone in an outtage. And the gentleman who posed the concern was right, the outtages ARE getting longer. I lived in this county 47 years before I experienced an outtage longer than 3 hours. Hurricane Isabel in 2003 put out my electricity for 23 hours. Now, outtages DAYS in length is the norm. There's obviously something very vulnerable about our grid, and the attitude we got the other night--that these events aren't as bad as they seem--didn't reassure us.

Our intrepid Shae Ashe of The Norristown Project, tuned in through Google, and sent in a question asking how the county can help Norristown promote business. Shapiro said 30-minute train service would be coming to our Transportation Center, so hopefully the idea of being able to get a train in and out every 30 minutes would help bring in offices.

Richards said they also want to help Norristown promote home ownership, and that she thought the town had "amazing buildings" that could be promoted, though when I asked her specifics about historical preservation, I got the idea that she liked the concept but didn't want to deal with the reality. If a building's empty, no matter how amazing, she implied that it was okay to demolish it. Though all 3 commissioners said they were committed to keeping the old Jail on Airy because it's a significant landmark building.

Another request was that the county support the development of Arts Hill and address safety concerns in the area, in order to bring foot traffic back to Main Street. Castor said the Sheriff's Department is expanding so there will be visible uniforms on the streets around the courthouse, leaving the police department freer to concentrate in other areas.

All in all, it was a good Town Hall, though I thought they steered the conversation away from specifics so much that I came away feeling that this was all for show. Still, I'm glad they took the time, and I hope they took away a better understanding of residents' concerns. I hope these Town Halls continue.

Converse With A Commish, or 3

Tonight is the Montgomery County Commissioners' Town Hall at Municipal Hall at 7 pm. Yes, it's going to be cold out and you'll feel like you'd rather stay home, nice and cozy, watching TV. But this is important.

Still, if you CAN'T come in person, you can still participate. The meeting will be live-streamed using a Google Hangout at  http://www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?nid=1759 . You'll even be able to submit questions, but registration is required for that, and a Gmail account is necessary. They're easy to set up, but do it now and don't wait until 6:59 pm or your questions will go unanswered.

You can also submit questions by email to Commissioners@MontcoPA.org . They'll be answered in the order they're received, so again, you can't wait until 6:59 pm.

I'm going to the meeting because I have redevelopment questions. When I attended the Montco Planning meeting a few weeks ago, they talked in a perky, isn't-this-going-to-be-awesome manner about, essentially, filling in every empty space in Norristown with apartment buildings. I asked who was going to pay for the extra infrastructure needed for the increase in population. I never got an answer. Norristown needs homeowners and businesses to increase tax revenue, not more rental properties. Especially when the construction of apartment buildings inevitably means the use of public funds--developers getting rich using our tax money while Norristown keeps getting poorer.

And if the plans submitted by Elon for the Montgomery Hospital property are any indication, the apartment buildings we'll end up with will be 4-story wooden firetraps, poorly designed and cheaply constructed to maximize their profit.

But there will be other topics tonight. Commissioner Josh Shapiro said, "These conversations with the commissioners are another in a series of ways we are trying to keep residents informed about what we are doing," I think we can all agree that most of us have no idea what the commissioners do, or how what they're doing effects Norristown. We think of ourselves as being governed by Norristown Council and have no idea where the county fits into the scheme of things. We only know that, often, Norristown is treated like a poor and not very bright relation, and that we're sick of it.

So please, leave your cozy home tonight and come out to the meeting. If you can't, watch it and participate through the link above.

From Theater to County Commissioners

The good news is Norristown.org is back up. The bad news, you have to go looking for it--it no longer comes up on Google. Still, if you click on http://norristown.org/town-calendar, the calendar now comes up. You'll find a more complete listing of what's going on, though, at http://www.montcooic.org/calendar.html

Not as much as usual seems to be scheduled in Norristown this weekend. Maybe the weather made everyone give up until spring. But there are a few activities throughout the next week to look forward to, and this will be a gorgeous and WARM weekend, so get out and enjoy. Here are a few suggestions for the coming week:

Starting tonight, 4:30 until 6:30 pm, Jus' Java will host a "Friday After Work" Happy Hour. Live music, discounted food and drink special. Celebrate the melting of all this snow.

Tonight's also opening night for CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION at Theatre Horizon. This weekend, tickets range from a low $20 to $22 (prices go up next Thursday). Curtain times are Friday and Saturday, 8 pm, and Sunday matinee at 2 pm. Go to http://www.theatrehorizon.org/shows/circlemirror.html for tickets or call the box office at 610-283-2230.

At 1 pm Saturday, also at Jus' Java, author Mark Man will be on hand to sign copies of his novel "Unbelievable."

Also Saturday from 1:30 to 3 pm, if you have a 4th or 5th grade daughter, bring her to ACPPA Community Art Center on Haws Avenue (in the back of Grace Lutheran Church) for their free Keeping It Klassy program. To find out more, go to  http://www.eventbrite.com/e/keeping-it-klassy-tickets-10069781989.

Monday is the last day for Little League Softball and Baseball registration for 4 to 18 year-olds. 6-8 pm at Eisenhower Middle School. More info at www.norristownlittleleague.com

Tuesday at 7 pm, a Zoning Board hearing is scheduled at Municipal Hall. No agenda yet, but possibly the cell tower proposals near Montgomery Hospital will be discussed. MEETING CONTINUED UNTIL MARCH 25th.

Wednesday, February 26th is Norristown Night at Theatre Horizon. Tickets are only $10 for Norristown residents. Show starts at 7:30 pm. To reserve your ticket at the special price, you must call the box office at 610-283-2230.

Last night I was handed a flyer saying there would be a Black History Month Celebration at the Human Resources Center on Thursday from 9:30 am until 2 pm. I haven't been able to confirm it--the only thing that came up when I googled it was a school district website that denies access. The person who told me about it said it was hosted by the county. The theme is "Civil Rights in America" and the day will feature speakers and performers.

The flyer I have says "Poetry, Praise Dance, Community Awards, County and State Representatives, Culture and Information." (Really? They think people will take off work just to hear  politicians talk?)  On the bright side, the jazz band from Eisenhower will perform and I hear they're good. But someone tell me why this isn't happening on a weekend, the way Upper Merion does theirs, so residents can go?

If you want to ask that question in person, come to Municipal Hall Thursday night for "Conversations with Your Commissioners." Our 3 county commissioners will be on hand from 7 to 9 pm (they FINALLY scheduled a meeting after work hours!) to "delve into residents' concerns...including storm-water management, land use, and human services. Speak with the commissioners about what you would like to see happen with Norristown."  This is an important meeting for Norristown to voice concerns (like how we're tired of them dumping all their "infill" development on us when we don't have the infrastructure to handle it).  But if you can't get there, the meeting will also be available via Google Hangout.

Montco's 2040 Plan: Overcrowd Norristown

Before I get to the main rant, Linda Christian is holding a 3rd District Town Hall on Tuesday, Feb 11 from 6 to 7 pm at the Human Resources Center (old Sacred Heart, Dekalb and Fornance). A representative of Einstein will be there to present their plans for the Montgomery Hospital site (ie, that they want to demolish the building). The Montgomery Hospital building has be determined to be eligible for the National Register, so we don't want to lose it. If you signed the petition, please come to the meeting and voice your opinion, and bring your neighbors so they can voice theirs. If you haven't signed, click on the photo of the hospital in the right column and please sign.

Speaking of outsiders trying to plan our future for us as if we were 5 year-olds, I went to the Montco Planning Commission "workshop" last night at Centre Theater. I was the ONLY Norristown resident who attended.

Before I tell you about the meeting, you should know that you can still register your opinion online by taking Montco's survey. They said they have 2400 surveys so far, and you can bet none are from Norristown, so please do it. You can read about the 2040 Plan here (not that it's all that informative) and take the survey here (if this link doesn't work, use the link on the Montco website).

The workshop was actually very short. They started late and it was still done within an hour. I got the impression everyone but me had heard it before and wanted to rush out of there to go home to dinner.

First there was an overview that was essentially an almost word-for-word quote from their website, that is: "Montgomery County is in the process of preparing a comprehensive plan for the entire county. This plan will provide an overall framework for local municipal plans and will provide guidance on issues that transcend local boundaries, such as highways, public transportation, flooding, trails, growth trends, redevelopment trends, shopping needs, impact of large developments, overall housing needs, natural systems, and economic growth."

It was stressed, however, that the county anticipated a growth of 94,000 more residents by the year 2040. They said they needed to plan where to put those people. They also said their solution to improving neighborhoods was sidewalks. In fact, "sidewalks" seems to be Montco's mantra. And though I believe sidewalks are a good thing, I can't see how they'll solve all the issues listed in the last paragraph.

After that, they were apparently supposed to do a "Money Allocation Scenario." I think this would have been good, so I could see where they normally spend funding and what the county priorities were. But then we were told, no, they were skipping this step. I don't know why. I know they did in in the other workshops around the county. Maybe they thought Norristonians unable to do math. And like I said, they were rushing through the presentation. Whatever, they SHOULD have included it and didn't.

After that, they held a "Land Use Discussion," which started with the difference between high and low density development. Low density is what you see in the suburbs--single houses on big lots. High, to the presenters last night, seemed to consist only of high-rise apartment buildings. We were told that high rise apartments would be ideal "infill development" for Norristown. This is basically where I said "no."

I pointed out that, unless Montco is going to come in and give us loads of money to solve parking, trash, water runoff and snow removal and other problems caused by people living too close together, that they shouldn't expect a poorer community like Norristown to solve their population problems, simply because the people in the richer communities don't want to give up their low density lifestyles. We don't want more apartments in Norristown, we want more homeowners.

They asked what I'd do with the vacant lots across and up the street (Dekalb and Main). I said this was the downtown and the Arts Hill district (from talking with attendees before the meeting, I found none who knew we HAD an Arts Hill district). Development should either be retail stores, restaurants, or arts venues, like galleries, theaters, etc. They could have apartments upstairs, but the buildings should blend in with the existing Victorian/Art Deco/1940s look of the downtown. They shouldn't be over 4 or 5 stories in that area. They shouldn't make canyons out of Main Street.

They pointed out that Conshohocken had highrises. I pointed out that Conshohocken also had flooding problems because of poorly planned development (not to mention that a lot of Conshy's highrises are still empty).

I also could have pointed out, if they hadn't been so busy rushing us out of there, that we just spent a lot of time redoing our zoning codes, with the guidance of the Montco Planning Commission, and those zoning codes specify where and how high apartment buildings can be in Norristown.

They said Norristonians should also be encouraged to attend an Open House at the Montco Planning Commission offices (Montgomery Plaze, suite 201), on Wednesday, Feb 12, from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. I said that we were a working community and that an evening open house would be better. No one cared.

I'm really getting tired of outsiders thinking they know what's best for Norristown. I'm tired of people like the Montco Planning Commission making a show of accessibility, then scheduling workshops like this for times when working people simply can't get there, then rushing through the presentation. That tells me they don't value us or our community at all.

So go online and fill out the survey. Let's fill up their inbox with our opinions.

Council Meeting Tonight? Your Guess Is As Good As Mine.

There's still no agenda posted for tonight's Council meeting, only 10 hours before zero hour (7:30 pm). I haven't heard that it's being cancelled.

My street doesn't look all that bad--a plow actually did go up and down my street several times yesterday. No salt truck, though. One pass with salt would have been worth 5 passes with the plow. Still, the main roads are like mine, they ought to be passable, especially with the sun on them all day. And the next batch of weather isn't due in until 2 am or so.

Tonight is also supposed to be the Montco Planning meeting at 5 pm at Centre Theater. Residents asked for this meeting, and it was already rescheduled once because of the weather, so I hope people can get to it tonight.

I'll now go out and see if I can find an agenda for the Council meeting. If so, I'll update this blog later.
~ ~ ~
3:30 pm : 4 hours before meeting time and still no agenda on Norristown.org nor a notice that the meeting has been cancelled in lieu of an agenda. My messages to the council president and my district rep today haven't been answered. A new low in bad communication.

Tonight in Norristown

Two events tonight, both in Elmwood Park. The 2nd is especially important for the future of Norristown.

From 6 to 8 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo will hold its Holiday Tree Lighting -- the one postponed from last Friday. Come join EPZ for hot chocolate, s'mores, and photo opportunities with Santa and his reindeer as they welcome the holiday season with the lighting of their tree. Admission to this event is FREE. For more information, contact Guest Services at 610.277.3825 x 241 or email guestservices@elmwoodparkzoo.org

At the other end of the park, between 6:30 and 7:30 pm, PAL, 340 Harding Blvd, will host the Montgomery County Planning Commission, who'll present "Montco 2040 - A Shared Vision" to Norristown residents. This workshop is open to the community. Light refreshments will be served. Meeting will take place in the computer room of GNPAL. They've been holding these workshops all over the county, asking other county residents what they want their county seat to be like. We actually had to beg them to come here to ask us. I know it's tempting to stay in and stay warm, but go and tell the County what we want for our town. Otherwise, the rest of the county gets to decide our future without us.

The event at Selma Mansion scheduled for Saturday, "A Selma Mansion Christmas" is off. Because of the early deep freeze, and because Selma has no heat, the decision was made to drain the plumbing to protect the pipes. Between that and the forecast, holding an event there Saturday isn't feasible. They MAY reschedule for next weekend elsewhere. I'll know for sure tomorrow. Stay tuned.

A Tour of Our Justice System

(Or, One Reason We Have Criminals On Our Streets)

I've been following a Norristown police case--or I should say, Montgomery County, because the defendant's been arrested in 4 different communities over the last 2 months. The reason I began following it (besides being a mystery writer with an interest in police work) is that the person misappropriated a good chunk of money from a Norristown volunteer organization. We all know how hard our organizations work to raise money, so I take it as a personal affront against the town.

I don't say "allegedly misappropriated" because the criminal has admitted doing it. The funds were discovered missing over the summer, and the theft reported to the police, but that, it turns out was only the beginning of the story. I'm not going to mention names, because the defendant hasn't come up for trial yet and I don't want to jeopardize any of the cases.

The organization gave the Norristown police all the documentation they had, but before the paperwork was even done, the thief was arrested twice for other crimes. Here's an excerpt from a September Montgomery News article:

"A Norristown man was arrested Sept. 1 following a police chase by officers responding to a call at 8:41 p.m. to be on the lookout for a blue Chevy Suburban occupied by two white men involved in a retail theft at the Walgreens in East Norriton, police said. A Whitpain officer located the vehicle eastbound on Township Line Road...After a brief chase,...stopped and identified as the man involved in the retail theft, police said. He also appeared to be intoxicated and was taken to Mercy Suburban for a blood test, and charges of driving under the influence are pending against him, police said. In addition, he was charged with fleeing and eluding, receiving stolen property, possession of heroin, possession of paraphernalia and traffic offenses, police said... bail was set at $10,000 unsecured.

"The next day, Sept. 2, Hatfield Township police sent out a request to help identify a suspect in an attempted theft of a case of cigarettes valued at $1,650, which occurred in August, police said. From the photos and description of the vehicle, the thief appeared to be [the defendant] and the information was passed along to Hatfield Township, which obtained an arrest warrant, police said."

Here are the court summaries of those arrests:

Arrest: 9/1/13, Whitpain police
Felony - Fleeing from an officer
Misdemeanors - Receiving stolen property, DUI, 2 counts possession, 3 counts drug use, 2 counts of attempted theft, attempted receiving stolen property. Listed as using 2 aliases and as having a prior arrest in 2002.
Unsecured bail for $10,000 ("Unsecured" means the defendant didn't have to put a downpayment on the bail--he only signed a paper saying he'd return for his court appearances.)

While he was in jail, on 9/2, Hatfield police arrested him. 3 more felony counts - Petty theft, receiving stolen property, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds. Unsecured bail in the amount of $25,000. He was released on 9/12.

Meanwhile the Norristown detectives lost the documentation for the local case and the organization faxed them a second copy.

The felon's next court date was 9/23. He failed to show. This should have brought an automatic contempt charge and a warrant should have been issued for his arrest. That never happened.

Skip to the first week of October, the defendant was arrested AGAIN, in West Norriton. Felony - 2 counts of retail theft. At his hearing, his failure to show wasn't mentioned. He was again issued unsecured bail in the amount of $25,000 and let go.

Meanwhile, Norristown AGAIN asked the organization to fax their documentation.  Apparently we have a black hole down at 235 East Airy that swallows evidence.

On 11/16, the perp was arrested AGAIN, this time in Upper Merion on more counts of theft. I didn't get hold of those court documents to know the exact charges, but last Thursday, he was released on unsecured bail AGAIN.

The charges and warrant for the earlier failure to show still haven't been issued. Norristown still hasn't gotten their act together to file charges or issue a warrant for the misappropriation of funds.

So here we have a drug user charged with at least 6 felony counts, arrested by 4 different police departments (Norristown could make it 5), who has already failed to appear for one court date. He's out driving around Norristown and the surrounding area, probably planning where he's going to steal from next. Montgomery County courts just keep giving him unsecured bail and letting him go. Partially the fault of the judges', but mainly the DA's office, I suspect, for not connecting the dots and aggressively pressing the cases, and not following up to see that a contempt charge was issued.

I'm guessing if the felon were black or Hispanic, things would be different. All our guy seems to have to do is bat his baby blues at a judge and he walks.

As for the Norristown police? I don't know, maybe they don't think they have a strong enough case. Maybe they're waiting for the other charges to stick. But losing the documentation, more than once? Chief Talbot, please tell me that's going to stop.

So think about this when you consider whether we should have a drug counseling center on Main Street. It would sure be convenient for drug users like this man, going between the center and the places he steals from and the courthouse, who'll just let him go over and over again. He could do all his activities within 4 blocks.

Can you understand why new businesses won't want to come to Main St. if that center opens? Why existing businesses might leave?

Go to the Zoning Board meeting tonight at 7 pm in Municipal Hall and say no to Gaudenzia.