Riverfront Park: Good News, Bad News, and REALLY Bad News

Testing river water

It’s been a month since Public Works removed most of the vegetation from the riverbank at Riverfront Park. Yesterday I went there to help volunteers test our river water for pollutants and other water health factors. Remember, this river provides our drinking water.

The results:  Nitrate levels (caused by runoff that contains fertilizer) were slightly better than on Earth Day.  PH levels were a tad on the alkaline side but not far from optimum (changes in pH can promote the growth of nasty invasive vegetation in the river). The bad news is that phosphate levels were worse (caused by runoff containing waste—for instance, from the goose droppings along the bank, the many dogs people bring to the park to relieve themselves, and all the backyards uphill that contain dog poop, etc.)

If you read my first blog on the riverbank about 3 weeks ago, you’ll remember how important the riparian zone (riverbank) vegetation is for filtering pollutants like phosphates, to keep them out of our drinking water.

The good news is that some of the vegetation is beginning to grow back, especially where the blue sediment barrier is, because the barrier discourages people from stepping over it and trampling the plants. (The photo shows mainly broadleaf plantain—an introduced species that’s been in North America long enough to be considered native.) If left alone, the vegetation will come back on its own, though replacing some of the more recent invasive species with native shrubs and flowers is best.

However, where there’s no barrier, little growth is taking place and the soil is quickly eroding around the tree roots.

At the end of the parking lot, where the lot is closest to the water, erosion is happening so fast that no vegetation at all is visible and almost all the top soil is gone. What’s underneath is what looks like old construction fill—cement blocks, cement dust in the soil, etc. Nothing will grow there. Meanwhile, the river keeps getting closer to the asphalt.

Where the river is closest to the lot

When I tried to ask some of our council folks what the plans are for Riverfront Park, they directed me to the Norristown.org. It took me a while but I found the plan at this link.

What the plan shows is no riparian zone at all for the area in question (which goes against US, PA and Montgomery County guidelines/ regulations for riparian zones). The bank appears to be all paved (it's described as "stone protection/stone seating/bank fishing"), with large boulders along the water’s edge. Less trees than we have now. Nothing to filter pollution, nothing to prevent erosion from behind or during floods, nothing to help slow flood waters, no habitat for wildlife (which includes fish—who get much of their shelter and food from overhanging trees and nutrients that wash into the river from vegetation on land or from whatever lives in the muddy shallows (which will be covered with boulders)). The entire natural eco-system in this area would be completely destroyed. More pollution in the river, leading not only to more difficulty cleaning our drinking water, but to the growth of more invasive weeds in the river, preventing boating.

Do we prefer bottle caps instead of plants?

Even if all that wasn’t a problem, think about the added heat that less trees/vegetation and more stone would bring to the park. Honestly, there’s too much paving there on a hot summer day now as it is, let alone add more. We’re supposed to be a community that cares about the environment. Riverfront Park could be a natural area showcase for our town, a wonderful place to teach our kids the science of nature and ecology. And a great place to fish if we don’t mess with current fish habitats. And a cool, breezy place to picnic. And a healthy river for boating.

This plan is dated 2011. I don’t know of any environmental study done since then in relation to this plan. One council person said there were town halls about it last fall. I checked all the calendars, including Norristown.org and the Municipality’s Facebook events. Nope, no town halls about Riverfront Park at all.

Litter and trash in the park continues

Some of our council reps have spoken to me and seem open to discussing environmental concerns about Riverfront Park. From the rest of Municipal Hall, I’ve only heard repeated claims that Public Works “cleaned up” the riverfront last month. Apparently healthy vegetation is trash to them (while real trash is still left lying around).

Please contact your council person and ask that a healthy NATURAL environment be restored to the riverbank and incorporated into the Riverfront Park Plan, for the good of the whole community.

Riverfront Park Erosion Update

Last week I told you about the destruction of the vegetation on Riverfront Park's riverbank and explained why that vegetation is so important in preventing erosion, slowing flood waters, filtering pollution, providing a habitat for wildlife, and practically, just giving us a nice natural, cool place to picnic or fish on a hot summer's day.

I was curious as to what effect the weekend storms had on the muddy riverbank, so I went back yesterday morning. Here are some photos:

The Municipality must have also agreed that the erosion risk was now high, because they placed this blue construction bolster along the riverbank. Not a great look for our park. But more importantly in this photo, some of the scant vegetation that was left after the borough's "improvements" was gone after the weekend storms.

Here's a closer look at that bare spot from the above photo. You can see how much more vulnerable this part of the riverbank is to erosion now.

This is the end of the lot, just beyond the circle. There had been a deep eroded ditch there which Public Works filled with mud, but you can see on the right side of the photo that the runoff has already begun to form a new ditch under the bolster. This is where the parking lot is closest to the river and now there's no vegetation at all to protect either the riverbank or the parking lot.

This is the same spot on the other side of the bolster. It looks like at least a foot of riverbank washed away over the weekend here. I stood on the curb to take this photo ~ that's how close the river is to the parking lot.

This is better because the remaining trees and vegetation helped to provide protection from erosion, but you can see that some of the debris that had been on the bank is now in the water, so some flooding or erosion did take place.

This was only the result of one fierce but short storm Saturday, and some longer, more gentle bouts of rain on Sunday. I haven't had a chance to see if last night's storm did more damage. But it's absolutely imperative that native plants with good roots be replaced along the riverbank as quickly as possible.

How N-Town is Wasting Our Tax $ Now

At the end of last week, Norristown Municipality posted photos of Riverfront Park on their Facebook page with the caption, “Despite the gloomy weather, Norristown Public Works and Pennsylvania American Water are hard at work trimming trees and clearing out debris to give everyone a more beautiful view of Norristown's riverfront!” 48 people hit the Like or even the Love icon. What’s not to love, right?

Me? I thought “uh-oh” and went down to Riverfront this week to check it out.

What their photos didn’t show you was the mud they left behind. They essentially ripped out 90% or more of the vegetation along the riverbank—trees, undergrowth, you name it—and left mud and debris in their wake. Sure, everyone can see the river from any point in the parking lot now, but if you want shade for your picnic on these hot days, forget it. If you want to enjoy nature without looking at ugly mud and debris, you’ll have to head for Valley Forge.

Still, the inconvenience of picnickers is only a tiny part of the problem. The real disaster here is that most of the riparian buffer zone was destroyed. What’s a riparian buffer zone? It’s native vegetation that grows along a riverbank and has 4 important environmental functions:

1. Keeping the bank from eroding
2. Slowing flood waters
3. Absorbing pollution in stormwater runoff, to keep the river cleaner
4. Providing habitat (food and shelter) for fish and wildlife

If we get one or two heavy thunderstorms this week, some of that mud will disappear, right into the river. The next time we get a week of rain, a lot of what’s left of the riverbank could disappear. The dirt around the roots of the few trees they left will erode away and those trees will fall into the river. The riverbank will go bye-bye, then the parking lot will start to crack and wash away. I heard the PA American Water Company intends to plant grass seed. That won’t work. Residential grass doesn’t have roots deep enough or strong enough for a riverbank. 

A good strong flood could speed up the erosion process. Remember a few years ago, when a flood lifted the Dragon Boat’s trailer and washed it down to the Dekalb bridge? A flood like that now would do a lot more damage to Riverfront Park—destroy the parking lot, gouge out the hill behind it, even undermine the Schuylkill River Trail—because now we have very few trees and undergrowth to slow down flood waters. If Riverfront Park is inundated, the river could actually move inland permanently, then threaten Crawford Park and everything downstream.

Pollution? We already have elevated levels of nitrates in our river. We get our drinking water from there, folks. We ought to be trying to widen and strengthen the riparian buffer instead of destroying it.

A week and a half ago I went on the Audubon Center’s bird walk at Riverfront. We saw little birds in the trees all along the riverbank and heard frogs in the water. All those birds were gone yesterday, and I didn’t hear any frogs. If you’re one of the people who like to fish at Riverfront, the fish populations will probably decrease in the coming year because of lack of habitat.

I don’t know who at Municipal Hall had this brilliant idea to destroy an entire eco-system and put at risk one of our most unique parks, and the area all around it, and possibly even our water supply. The person ought to be fired.

A"before" picture of the riverbank

What will it take to fix the problem properly? Honestly, I’m not sure it CAN be fixed. An eco-system is a complex thing that takes decades, at least, to evolve. Planting native plants all along the bank would help. Widening the riparian zone would help, even if it’s only by 10 or 15 feet. Things that won’t help: grass or more concrete or asphalt. Whatever the solution, it’ll cost more tax money. Something they wouldn’t need to spend if they’d left well enough alone.

But frankly, I can’t see anyone at Municipal Hall publicly acknowledging their mistake. Or understanding that they made one in the first place.

Ironically, the Municipality just changed their Facebook cover to a pre-disaster area photo of Riverfront Park.

You can read more about riparian buffer zones on a PDF at the USDA's website at this link.

Nature, Music, Graphic Arts, History and More this Week

We must be all partied out from the 4th because this weekend seems quiet. But head down to the river Saturday for a FREE program by the Audubon Center. I heard a rumor there might be other activities at Riverfront Park, too.

Saturday, July 8, noon-2 pm at Riverfront Park. Birding With Binoculars, a FREE program presented by the John James Audubon Center. Observe wildlife right on the Schuylkill River. Explore local waterfowl and learn how birds survive in their habitats by finding food, water, shelter, and space. Participants get a pair of binoculars to use during the program. Great for kids and families.

Saturday, 8-11 pm, Five Saints Distilling (Main and Green). Ken Pierson performs.


Sunday, 7 pm at the Elmwood Park Bandshell, Summer Concert Series presents Skitty Show (a little bit of everything). Bring a chair or blanket to sit on (though you're going to want to get up and dance). Concession stand will be open.

Tuesday, 1-2 pm at Norristown Library. Meet local graphic novelist Matt Phelan, who'll explain how to write and publish a graphic novel. All are welcome to attend, but especially teens.  Free.

Tuesday, 5:30-7 pm at the Historical Society (1654 Dekalb St.). Cruising Montgomery and Berks Counties. Cruising was a favorite activity on Friday and Saturday nights during the 1950's to show off your ride and your girl, impress your friends, or maybe get the attention of that special girl. Then stop at the drive-in for a soft drink or snack and check out everyone else. Come find out what you missed in this FREE program. For more information contact the Historical Society of Montgomery County at 610-272-0297;
contact@hsmcpa.org

Tuesday, 7 pm at Municipal Hall. Planning Commission meeting.

Thursday, 11 am-2:30 pm on East Main in front of the Courthouse. Norristown Farmers Market. Every Thursday through Oct 26. Variety of fruits and vegetables, farm fresh.

Next Saturday, July 15, 10:30 am-12:30 pm at Centre Theater. Kids Movie Club. This month: "A Night At The Museum." Free event for children of all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations are recommended as seating is limited. To reserve, email centretheater@gmail.com

Next Saturday, 9-3 pm at Selma Mansion (1301 W Airy). Flea Market. FREE admission for shoppers. Attic treasures, crafts, professional vendors, games. toys, food, drink. Rain or shine.

Next Saturday, 6:30-10:30 pm at Coffee Talk (507 W Marshall), Open Mic with Teri Camilari.

Also next Saturday, 7-9 pm at the Elmwood Park Band Shell. Free Gospel Concert.

CADCOM is looking for vendors for their Community Day on August 5 (raindate Aug 12) at 340 E Oak St. $15 for business, FREE for non-profits. If you're interested, contact Heather Lewis at 610-277-6363 x166 or email hlewis@cadcom.org.

The deadline for the CADCOM Community Day Basketball Tournament is July 31. The tournament takes place Aug 5 from noon to 4 pm at Oak Street Park. Open to kids grades 4-12 and adults. For information, email Adrienne Aiken, Aaiken@cadcom.org

Independence Holiday Festivities (and the rest of the week's events)

Theater and music this weekend, then activities for the July 4 holiday begin on Monday night.

Friday, June 30, 7:30 pm, Theatre Horizon (410 Dekalb) presents a concert reading of "Zanna Don't (A Musical Fairy Tale)". Pay what you decide.

Saturday, 8-11 pm, Five Saints Distilling (Main and Green). Jazz-180 performs.

Sunday, 1-4 pm at Coffee Talk (507 W Marshall). Open Mic.

Sunday, 2-5 pm at Elmwood Park Zoo, residents who live within Norristown's boundaries who present valid photo ID may enter the zoo free of charge.

Sunday, 7 pm at the Elmwood Park Bandshell, Summer Concert Series presents Diamond Reno (with the music of Neil Diamond). Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Concession stand will be open.

Monday, 6-8 pm at Norristown Library (Powell and Swede). Robo Code: Hands-on learning using iPad apps and our robots, Dash and Dot. Kids will learn to code through fun projects and puzzles. Class size limited to 18. For kids entering grades 3-6.

Monday, 7 pm  at Christ United Church of Christ, W Marshall and Noble Sts (parking lot). Annual Independence Eve Concert. FREE Peace Concert. Come enjoy the music of the Song Sheets (Plus), including folk songs, early American, multi-cultural, inspirational and patriotic selections. Bring a chair. Park on the surrounding streets. Hotdogs, snacks and homemade goodies available. Donations accepted to benefit the church's youth programs. In the event of rain, the concert will be inside the church.

Tuesday, July 4th Festivites:
10 am - Parade beginning at Dekalb and Airy Sts. The route will proceed west on Airy, right onto Astor, left onto W Marshall, right onto Stanbridge, right onto Sterigere, and end at the bottom of the hill in Elmwood Park.
11:30 am - Rest of the day in Elmwood Park, concerts begin with a performance by Old School.
1 pm - Kids' crafts, rides, food trucks, and a beer garden.
6 pm - Wildflower performs
9 pm - Fireworks.

Wednesday, 1:30 pm (also Thursday) at Norristown Library. Leap Into Science, family science exploration by the Franklin Institute. For kids 4-7 and their parents/grandparents.

Wednesday, 6:30-9 pm at Municipal Hall (conference room). The NPD will host a Neighborhood Watch training class. Topics covered include crime reporting, active violence, and a Q&A session. Contact Gina Davies at 610-270-0490 or email gdavies@norristown.org

Wednesday, 7:30 pm at Municipal Hall. Council meeting.

Thursday, 11 am-2:30 pm on East Main in front of the Courthouse. Norristown Farmers Market. Every Thursday through Oct 26. Variety of fruits and vegetables, farm fresh.

Next Saturday, July 8, noon-2 pm at Riverfront Park (1 Haws Ave). Birding With Binoculars, a FREE program presented by the John James Audubon Center. Observe wildlife right on the Schuylkill River. Explore local waterfowl and learn how birds survive in their habitats by finding food, water, shelter, and space. Participants get a pair of binoculars to use during the program. Great for kids and families.

CADCOM is looking for vendors for their Community Day on August 5 (raindate Aug 12) at 340 E Oak St. $15 for business, FREE for non-profits. If you're interested, contact Heather Lewis at 610-277-6363 x166 or email hlewis@cadcom.org.

Have a happy and safe Independence Day.

Scads of Childrens' Events This Week (and a few things for adults, too)

Going to be a beautiful day Saturday. Take the kids to a free movie Saturday morning, then take them to the library for the open house in the afternoon. Also free.

Friday, May 19, 6-8 pm at First Presbyterian Church, Norristown Recreation invites all kids to The Picnic Games. Free admission. Hotdogs followed by games, then sno-cones at the end of the evening.

Friday, 8 pm at Theatre Horizon, "White" continues its run. This week's performances are Saturday at 4:30 pm and 8 pm, Sunday at 2 pm and Thursday at 7:30 pm. The play's been held over until May 28. Tickets and performance schedule at this link.

Saturday, 10 am at Centre Theater. Kids Movie Club presents the movie "Moana." FREE.

Saturday from 1-3 pm at the Norristown Library (1001 Powell), the Friends of the Library will hold an Open House in the back of the library. The event is FREE and will include performances by Colonial Revelers at 1 pm, the Norristown School Jazz Band at 1:30 pm, and the Grupo de Danza Nuevo Mexico Dancers at 2:15 pm. Plus you can take a Hidden Library Tour (see parts of the library no one sees), enjoy refreshments and maybe win a door prize. Children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

Saturday, 6:30-11 pm at Five Saints Distilling (Main and Green). A-Mak Folk Festival. 3 bands will perform.

Sunday, 10:45 am at Christ UCC Church (Marshall and Noble). The cantata "We Are Sailing" with the Chancel Choir and guest instrumentalists, during the regular worship service.

Sunday, 7 pm at the Elmwood Park Bandshell, Summer Concert Series presents the Allen Reynolds Band. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on. Concession stand will be open.

Tuesday, 7 pm, Municipal Hall. Zoning Board Hearing.

Wednesday, 6:30 pm at Riverfront Park. Monthly meeting of the Norristown Riverfront Community. Now that Earth Day is over, what will be the next project? Come help decide. If it's nice, meet at Riverfront down near the end of the parking lot on the river side, if it rains, meet at Alfredo's restaurant (Hamilton and W Main).

Next Saturday, May 27, 9 am-1 pm at Stewart Middle School. Parents/Faculty Club Flea Market. Vendors $15/space, $20/space with table.

Next Saturday, 10 am-1 pm, New Life Plaza Parking Lot (across from 530 Church St). Yard sale to benefit the homeless and those in poverty. Contact 610-277-1321 Ext. 109 or email outreach@hospitalitycenter.org for info.

Next Saturday, 11 am-1 pm at Montgomery Cemetery. Memorial Day observance by the Historical Society of Montgomery County.

Earth Day Fest, Comic Fest, Theater(s), Music, History...Wow

Saturday is supposed to be the nice day sandwiched between 2 rainy ones this weekend. We got seven events going in N-town, but they're staggered enough that you could, say, go to Comic Fest, then over to Earth Day at the river, then take in the play at Centre Theater, then jazz at Five Saints. Most of the events are FREE. Plus, we've got plays in BOTH theaters this week.

Saturday, April 22, 10 am to 3 pm at The Norristown Library (Powell and Swede). Montco Comic Fest. FREE event. Dress as your favorite character, meet local artists and publishers, attend workshops and panels, and much more. For more information, visit www.mc-npl.org/comicfest.

Saturday is Earth Day. Three events in Norristown to choose from:

10 am-4 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo, Party for the Planet. Live entertainment and an Earth Expo with over 25 participating vendors of eco-friendly products and services. Requires zoo admission to attend.

1-5 pm at Riverfront Park (1 Haws Avenue), The Norristown Project and volunteers will clean up Riverfront Park. If you want to volunteer, come by 12:45 pm, wear long sleeves and pants (there might be early poison ivy in the wooded areas). Work gloves, bags etc. will be provided.

Also from 1-5 pm at Riverfront Park, the 1st Annual Earth Day/River Day Festival. FREE and open to the public. 15+ organizations (including The Norristown Diary) will help you celebrate Earth Day on the banks of the Schuylkill. Enjoy activities for kids and adults like wild edible plants foraging tours by Feed The Burbs (20 minutes, on each hour), a tree workshop by Out On A Limb, a Birding Station and free native plant seeds for your garden by the Audubon Society. Meet Conrad, the Audubon Society's resident bluejay (the 2nd half of each hour). Help build an interactive mosaic with recycled materials. Go on a scavenger hunt (2:30 pm). Learn about clean wind and solar energy from The Energy Co-op (including activities for kids). The Dragon Boat Club will be collecting river water for testing. Free boat rides for anyone who wants them. Food and music. Come reconnect with your river.

Saturday from 4-7 pm at Covenant of Praise Church (900 W Airy), Parent's Night Out (afternoon, technically). Games, pizza, live puppet show, prizes, and more. Ages 5-11. Free. Contact Olayemi Swindell, 301-613-9336, copupc@gmail.com, http://www.covenantofpraiseupc.com/events.html

Saturday night, 7 pm at Centre Theater (208 Dekalb), the play "Right Behind" by Raw Street Productions. Right Behind takes its audience behind the scenes of a restaurant, offering a brief glimpse inside the lives of the people that work there and depicting various extreme behaviors of the patrons. $15 Go to this link for tickets.

Saturday, 7-11 pm at Five Saints Distilling (Main and Green). Alex Otey Trio performs popular/jazz music.

Tuesday, 6 pm at the Historical Society (1654 Dekalb), Researching Your Home. For information, 610-272-0297 or contact@hsmcpa.org; hsmcpa.org  $25.00 per class for Society members/$30.00 for non-members.

Tuesday, 7 pm, Zoning Board Hearing at Municipal Hall.

Wednesday, 6 pm at the Norristown Library, CTC and Norristown Police present a special community conversation on underage drinking. For info, contact Viviann Schorle at vschorle@fsmontco.org or call 610-630-2111, x257.

Thursday, 7:30 pm at Theatre Horizon, the play "White" opens with a Pay What You Decide preview. The play will continue Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm. Tickets and performance schedule at this link.

Ongoing through April 29, The Historical Society of Montgomery County (1654 DeKalb) is running the exhibit: Norristown Remembered, The Art of Frank Batson. Norristown native Frank Batson’s paintings are inspired by his memories of Norristown and the surrounding area from the 1940’s, ‘50’s, and ‘60’s. Many of the buildings and places are long gone, but through his art, they are brought back to life. Exhibit is FREE and open to the public daily, Monday and Thursday 10 am-4:30 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 1-7:30 pm. Saturday hours vary. For info, contact 610-272-0297 or contact@hsmcpa.org. The Society is handicapped accessible.

Egg Hunt, Movie, Music, History, Etc.

Get out and enjoy the holiday weekend.

Friday, the Municipal Offices and the Library are closed today.

Saturday, 10-11:30 am at Christ Church UCC (West Marshall & Noble), Easter Egg Hunt. Egg Decorating, Story Telling, & Egg Hunt. Bring a friend. Bring a neighbor.

Saturday, April 15, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, Centre Theater (208 DeKalb), Kids' Movie Club. The movie this month is Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. Children of all ages are invited. FREE. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Doors open at 10 am. For more information and to reserve your seats please send an email to centretheater@gmail.com. Since seating is limited, so reservations are recommended.

Saturday, 7-11 pm at Five Saints Distilling (Main and Green). River Bones Band performs.

Monday, 9 am-1 pm at Norristown Library (Powell and Swede). LAST session for AARP Tax-Aide Tax Preparation Assistance (taxes are due April 18th). Available free to taxpayers with low and moderate income, with special attention to those 60 and older. For info, contact Asha Verma at averma@mclinc.org or call 610-278-5100 x0. For more information on the documents you will need to bring with you, visit the Tax Aide website at AARP.org/taxaide, or call the toll-free number at 888-227-7669.

Tuesday, 6 pm at the Historical Society (1654 Dekalb), Reading Your House. Workshop covers introductory topics on historic architecture including: formal and vernacular architecture, regional differences in house types (pre-1850), basic styles and construction techniques from 1700 to 1920, how to measure and draw a house, and how to look around at the landscape of houses in Montgomery County. 2nd session next Tuesday (the 25th) covers researching your home. For information, 610-272-0297 or contact@hsmcpa.org; hsmcpa.org. $25.00 per class for Society members/$30.00 for non-members. Both sessions: $40.00 for members and $50.00 for non-members.

Tuesday, 6:30 pm at Municipal Hall. Council Workshop.

Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 pm, the NPD will conduct Neighborhood Watch Training at the Norristown Library. For information, contact Gina Davies (610)270-0490.

Thursday, 5-6:30 pm at the Historical Society. History of King of Prussia Mall (previously postponed because of the ice storm). Author and historian Michael Shaw, Presenter. FREE and open to the public. For more information contact the Historical Society at 610-272-0297 or contact@hsmcpa.org or visit hsmcpa.org

Thursday, 6-7:30 pm at Norristown Library. Town Hall Meeting hosted by Councilwoman Val Cooper. Sarah Peck and Francis Vargas have both confirmed their attendance. Topics of discussion will include the 1529 Dekalb St property (Tennis Club) and the Montgomery Hospital property on Powell St.

Ongoing through April 29, The Historical Society of Montgomery County (1654 DeKalb) is running the exhibit: Norristown Remembered, The Art of Frank Batson. Norristown native Frank Batson’s paintings are inspired by his memories of Norristown and the surrounding area from the 1940’s, ‘50’s, and ‘60’s. Many of the buildings and places are long gone, but through his art, they are brought back to life. Exhibit is FREE and open to the public daily, Monday and Thursday 10 am-4:30 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 1-7:30 pm. Saturday hours vary. For info, contact 610-272-0297 or contact@hsmcpa.org. The Society is handicapped accessible.

Next Saturday, April 22, 10 am to 3 pm at The Norristown Library (Powell and Swede). Montco Comic Fest. FREE event. Dress as your favorite character, meet local artists and publishers, attend workshops and panels, and much more. For more information, visit www.mc-npl.org/comicfest.

Also, next Saturday is Earth Day. Three activities in Norristown to choose from:

10 am-4 pm, Elmwood Park Zoo, Party for the Planet. Live entertainment and an Earth Expo with over 25 participating vendors of eco-friendly products and services. Requires zoo admission to attend.

1-5 pm at Riverfront Park (1 Haws Avenue), The Norristown Project and volunteers will clean up Riverfront Park. If you want to volunteer, arrive by 12:45 pm, wear long sleeves and pants (there might be early poison ivy in the wooded areas). Work gloves, bags etc. will be provided.

Also from 1-5 pm at Riverfront Park, the 1st Annual Earth Day/River Day Festival. FREE and open to the public. 15+ organizations (including The Norristown Diary) will help you celebrate Earth Day on the banks of the Schuylkill. Enjoy activities for kids and adults like wild edible plants foraging tours by Feed The Burbs (20 minutes, on each hour), a tree workshop by Out On A Limb, a Birding Station and free native plant seeds for your garden by the Audubon Society. Meet Conrad, the Audubon Society's resident bluejay (the 2nd half of each hour). Help build an interactive mosaic with recycled materials. Go on a scavenger hunt (2:30 pm). Learn about clean wind and solar energy from The Energy Co-op (including activities for kids). The Dragon Boat Club will be collecting river water for testing. Free boat rides for anyone who wants them. Food and music. Come reconnect with your river.

Also next Saturday, 7 pm at Centre Theater (208 Dekalb), the play "Right Behind" by Raw Street Productions. Right Behind takes its audience behind the scenes of a restaurant, offering a brief glimpse inside the lives of the people that work there and depicting various extreme behaviors of the patrons. $15 Go to this link for tickets.

Happy Easter and Passover.

The Lion King, Music, History, and More

Winter weather has finally arrived, but despite that, people are starting to think "spring" and fun activities are picking up around town. But also, if you're a resident, read the agendas for the Planning and Design meetings this week at Municipal Hall.

Friday, March 10, from 6-8 pm at First Presbyterian Church (Airy & Dekalb). Winter Game Night for kids. Movie, soccer, dodgeball, art & crafts. Call 610-270-0467 for info.

Friday, 7-8 pm, Stewart Middle School (1315 W Marshall) presents Disney’s The Lion King JR.  60-minute musical, designed for middle-school aged performers, is based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor and the 1994 Disney film. The 5th-8th grade cast contains approximately 60 students led by Ms. Moscovici and Ms. Russo. Admission is free, but audience members are encouraged to make a donation at the door. Second performance on Saturday, March 11 at 5pm.

Saturday, 8-11 pm at Five Saints Distilling (Main and Green). FireWater (signer/guitarist Scott Dinolfi) performs.

Saturday, 8-11 pm, Second Saturday Jazz at August Moon, featuring the Jimmy Coleman Quartet. Doors open at 7 pm. Sets on the hour, starting at 8 pm.

Monday, 9 am-1 pm at Norristown Library (Powell and Swede). AARP Tax-Aide Tax Preparation Assistance. Tax-Aide is available free to taxpayers with low and moderate income, with special attention to those 60 and older. For info, contact Asha Verma at averma@mclinc.org or call 610-278-5100 x0. For more information on the documents you will need to bring with you, visit the Tax Aide website at AARP.org/taxaide, or call the toll-free number at 888-227-7669.

Tuesday, 2-3:30 pm at the Library (Swede and Powell). Great Books Group. This month’s classic is “Catch 22" by Joseph Heller. Contact Shirley Miller 610-272-4179. The Great Books Group meets the second Tuesday of each month

Tuesday, 7 pm at Municipal Hall. Planning Commission meeting. Agenda at this link. One notable item is a request to place 6 12x6 foot billboard ads on the side of the old Maaco building on Markley St between Elm and Marshall (photo at right). If you don't want more ugly on that stretch of road, make your thoughts known to the Planning Commission in writing or in person at the meeting.

Wednesday, 6:30 pm at Alfredo's Restaurant. Meeting of the Norristown Riverfront Community. This month, they'll be planning the Earth Day Celebration at Riverfront Park on April 22. Anyone interested is welcome.

Wednesday 6:30 pm at Municipal Hall. Design Review Committee. Agenda at this link. This seems to be a new committee that works in tandem with Planning. I guess the thought is, if the project is approved by Planning, it then goes before Design. Some of the same projects as on the Planning agenda.

Thursday, 5-6:30 pm at the Historical Society of Montgomery Co. (1654 Dekalb St). Presentation on the History of King of Prussia Mall, presented by author and historian Michael Shaw. free and open to the public. For more information contact the Historical Society at 610-272-0297 or contact@hsmcpa.org or visit: hsmcpa.org

Next Sunday, March 19, 10:30 am-noon, at Elmwood Park Zoo. Frog Watch Training Session. FrogWatch USA is a citizen science program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that provides people an opportunity to learn about wetlands in their communities and report data on the calls of local frogs and toads. Come to a special training session to learn how to distinguish the calls of Norristown's native frog species and help Elmwood Park Zoo contribute valuable frog population data to a national database. Members $5, Non-members $15 (zoo admission is included).

Ongoing through April 29, The Historical Society of Montgomery County (1654 DeKalb) is running the exhibit: Norristown Remembered, The Art of Frank Batson. Norristown native Frank Batson’s paintings are inspired by his memories of Norristown and the surrounding area from the 1940’s, ‘50’s, and ‘60’s. Many of the buildings and places are long gone, but through his art, they are brought back to life. Exhibit is FREE and open to the public daily, Monday and Thursday 10 am-4:30 pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 1-7:30 pm. Saturday hours vary. For info, contact 610-272-0297 or contact@hsmcpa.org. The Society is handicapped accessible.

ACPPA's 8-week spring session will start the week of March 20th. Art, music, and theater classes meet during the school week in the evenings and our preschool dance classes meet Saturday mornings.  Students participating in the spring 8-week session will also be invited to display their work in our Spring Art Exhibition and/or perform in our Spring Concert in late May. To register, click on this link. For questions or assistance with class placement and registration, contact Stephanie, at sland@acppa.net or 610-277-2270.

The Norristown Police Department will be hosting a Citizen Police Academy starting April 19th, 2017. The 10-week program will expand citizens’ knowledge and understanding of the law and explore police procedures. The CPA involves approximately 25 hours of instruction taught in two and a half hour segments--instruction on topics such as policing strategy, dynamics of patrol, crime investigations, emergency communications and dispatch operations, as well as riding along with patrol. Participants will meet every Wednesday from 6:30 pm to 9 pm  and they must attend 75% or more of the scheduled classes in order to be eligible to graduate and receive a certificate. Class size is limited. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age to apply and be a resident of Norristown.  Applications can be picked up at the station located at 235 East Airy, or can be requested by email NorristownCPA@norristown.org Deadline for application submission is March 31, 2017. Any questions about the CPA can be directed to Community Affairs Liaison Gina Davies 610-270-0490. (Note from Elena: I took this last fall and HIGHLY recommend it for all N-town residents.)

Norristown Municipality is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide, operate and manage food and beverage concession operations and recreational activities (like kayak rentals) year-round at Riverfront Park. Go to this link if you're interested.