Looking Back Before Moving Forward

This week every network TV channel--and a few of the others--are running news segments titled something like "A Look Back At 2014."  Most are video mash-ups and nothing more, and most of the videos are of events that were so unimportant, we shouldn't be trying to remember them at all.

I hate looking backward, at least, not so soon. I'm a history buff, after all. A few decades from now it might be good to look back and see what things really made a difference. And of course, we ought to try to remember mistakes, so we don't make them again. But I think people tend to look back at a year, or in Norristown's case, a half century, simply because it's easier than looking forward.

Still, let's take one last look at 2014, without the aid of videos or notes jotted on calendars or anything else. Think about what stands out in your mind about what was good and bad in N-town this past year.

The first thing that jumps to mind for me was the Arts Hill Festival. Attendance was better than previous years--I even saw a few cyclists wheeling their bikes up from the Schuylkill River Trail to attend. The vendors all seemed to be selling well. Only one band seemed to think they owned the street and could drown out all the other performances. All the other performers were well coordinated, and the ones I heard/saw were really good. The festival had an established feel to it this year, which can only bode well for the future.

The next things that come to mind were the make-overs of Selma Mansion and Riverfront Park. At Selma this past year, all the exterior wood was painted, all the rotted wood replaced, the downspouts repaired, and the garden got some much needed TLC. It's only phase one in the restoration of the mansion, but what a difference in appearance.

Riverfront's entrance got a great, fresh paint job, courtesy of the Dragon Boat Club, plus they fixed up the island in the parking area, adding a walkway and benches, and containers of flowers all over the park.

Elmwood Park added more attractions this year, both in the form of new animals and new activities, not to mention Noah the Eagle being chosen to be the Philadelphia Eagles live mascot.

Ghost Tours at Selma also felt more established this year. Attendance was double what it was in past years.

The more we establish events and activities, the more visitors we can attract from out of town. Five Saints Distillery will be another attraction. Once visitors are here, though, we ought be sure to give them info about what they can come back for. Norristown is fast developing a visitor economy. Let's run with that.

Bad things? A few. The flood that ruined much of the Dragon Boat Club's equipment, which curtailed activities that would have taken place at Riverfront this year. The cancelling of the July 4th parade too soon. The loss of another of our historic register buildings--Montgomery Hospital. The approval of developments too dense for our infrastructure to handle. No matter which bad things you can think of, they all have one common feature--all of them, even the acts of God, can teach us something if we let them.

Oh, and maybe best of all, crime in Norristown is DOWN from 2013. Violent crime is down SIGNIFICANTLY.

So there's 2014 in a nutshell. Learn from the bad, build on the good, and 2015 will be a great year for us.

Educational Gardening at Zachary's BBQ

The "before" photo of Zachary's garden.

I made the front page of the Times Herald yesterday. One of my friends commented that usually only politicians make the front page by doing what I was doing. At the time, I was spreading manure. Spreading the real thing is a much more noble past time that politics. Not to mention that I got some much needed sunlight and feasted on barbecue afterwards. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.

If you read my blog on Friday, you saw the notice about the gardening workshop at Zachary's BBQ (1709 Markley Street) last Saturday morning. Being an avid gardener, I went to see what I could learn. I DID learn a lot that I could apply to my own garden, but I also learned a lot about more workshops and the educational gardens planned, courtesy of Feed The Burbs landscaping, and sponsored by Zachary's BBQ.

Now, most of our restaurants in Norristown use fresh foods in their cooking, and some even use fresh local foods. Zachary's will be the first, I think, to be able to pick fresh foods right outside their door. This year's plan is put an herb garden in the space in front of the restaurant. Phase 2 will be to eventually put in an edible perennial garden between the parking lot and sidewalk.

The soil was dug up, then layered with manure, mulch and straw.

As Feed The Burbs installs the herb garden, they'll do a series of hands-on workshops for gardeners. Saturday was the first--a workshop in soil preparation that could apply to any type of garden. They're planning 4 more throughout the year on Garden Design, Planting, Maintenance and Harvesting, and a final harvest and preparation of the garden for winter.

As well as serving some of Zachary's needs, Chef Taylor wants these gardens to be educational--a place you can bring your kids to learn about where food comes from, and how to reduce your carbon footprint by doing some planting in your own yard. (And I highly recommend you go into Zachary's and eat while you're there to taste the results.)

If you want to know about the next workshops, the easiest way, if you're on Facebook, is to LIKE the Feed The Burbs and Zachary's pages and watch for workshop posts and news on garden progress. Otherwise, email info@feedtheburbs.com and they'll send you an email when the next workshop is coming up. Feed The Burbs is also planning to do some workshops at the Norristown Library in 2015, so if you're interested in those, too, let them know or watch the library's calendar on their website.

Last Events of the Year

Hope everyone had good holidays this week. Just a few short notices, then I'll let you get back to revelry.

Saturday morning, 10:30 am-noon, Feed The Burbs will present their rescheduled workshop on preparing your garden in the winter for spring planting, at Zachary's BBQ, 1709 Markley. Q&A will follow over lunch at Zachary's. This will be the first of a series of hands-on workshops, taking people step by step through the permaculture design process. RSVP to info@feedtheburbs.com. The first 10 people to RSVP have free admission including lunch at the famous Zachary's BBQ!

Monday from 2 pm to 3:30, the Norristown Public Library will be showing THE LEGO MOVIE at their Winter Movie event in the Children's Learning Center. All ages welcome. Contact: 610-278-5100 x205. Rated PG, 100 minutes.


You can see the complete list of library events at http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MONTCO

PLEASE NOTE the TEMPORARY discontinuance of Norristown's Electronic Recycling Program due to the County recycling vendor’s non-renewal of the contract. The County is actively seeking a replacement recycler. Electronic recyclables will be accepted on both MONDAY & TUESDAY the 29th & 30th of January. NO more after that until further notice.

Lighting Up The Darkness

I have a touch of seasonal affective disorder, so this is a special day each year. It's the day I celebrate that today and each day for the next 6 months will have a bit more daylight than the day before. This is why I love holiday lights--they help keep these winter nights from seeming so long and dark.

This year in Norristown, though, I think we have more lights--the town definitely seems less dark and gloomy. As I mentioned at the beginning of the month, big lighted snowflakes line the business districts on West Marshall St. and part of Main downtown (although the ones on the 100 block of W Main were out last night--and how about next year we extend the snowflakes to the businesses on the 200 and 300 blocks of East Main?). And I mentioned on Friday the 2 blocks of Locust where nearly every house had a light display. Now let me mention a few more I saw in my travels this weekend.

The blocks of Powell from Johnson Highway down to about Fornance. Coolidge Blvd between Markley and Astor. The 400 block of W Fornance. West Main between about Astor and Buttonwood has some nice ones. Lafayette, Stanbridge, Chestnut, Pine, Harding Blvd. Lots of others I remember seeing, but can't remember what street I saw them on. Even last night, when I was returning from a solstice singing gig after 11 pm, there were still quite a few Christmas lights on here and there, guiding the way home.

Best of all, I've noticed displays in the windows of several of our small businesses. Zummo's Hardware has a nice tree in their window. Five Saints isn't even open, but two big lighted wreaths decorate the upstairs windows of the old Humane firehouse. Jus' Java has a nice bright display on Swede. Vance Community Partners lit up the 200 block of Cherry, one of the darkest blocks downtown. When I'm waiting for the stoplight before the Dannehower Bridge, I can enjoy the display in the window of Nataly's Bakery on Main. Two of the bail bondsmen on Dekalb have nice bright displays. Up in the North End, my favorite is Diva's Kitchen, lighting up the corner of Pine and Johnson Highway. Many, many others, too.

All these lights make Norristown feel more positive, and safer, too. It's not that they provide bright security light, but these kinds of lights send the message that someone inside cares about their house or business, and about the town where they live and work. If I had an outdoor electrical connection that didn't require a tall ladder, I'd put out some kind of display, too. I do have candles in my windows, at least.

Norristown's been, symbolically, too much in the dark for too long. I think all these decorations around town are a sign that our community is coming out of its long economic winter. Our winter could also be called one of attitude, and I'm seeing much improvement there as well.. I'm feeling good about Norristown as the year ends.

I'll be taking the next few days off from the Diary. I have baking and gift-wrapping to do and I'm guessing many of you will be busy as well. Have a wonderful Christmas and/or end of Hanukkah and/or beginning of Kwanzaa.

Events, but First, a Rant

Sorry that the Diary's been pretty quiet all week. Too much to do before the holidays. But I've been around town a lot at night this week, and I have to say, we've got some great looking light displays in our neighborhoods. I think my favorite is the 2 blocks of Locust Street between Brown and Logan, up near Rittenhouse. Nearly every house in that stretch is decorated. Go check them out.

Last night I also had the chance to revisit my old elementary school, Roosevelt, for its 100th anniversary. They had a nice program and good attendance--I even saw some of my old classmates and teachers. And the school looked great. My only regret was that no one from Council showed up. Oh, they sent a Resolution (why come in person when you can send words?), which was supposed to have been delivered via Crandall Jones, the Borough Manager. He didn't come either. A police sergeant ended up delivering it (I'm voting for him next council election). Frankly, it would have been better not to send the resolution at all, because the message received was that our government didn't care about education in our town. Council was in good company, though. The 2 state senators who were to have been there? They didn't show either. I still sort of expect the attitude from outsiders that Norristown isn't worth showing up for, but not from members of Council. Okay, rant over. Thanks to the School District for the celebration. It meant a lot to those of us alumni from both the elementary school and alternative high school.

Not too many events this week. Enjoy the ones this weekend, then have a great Christmas/ Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, all of which are happening this coming week.

Friday, between 4 and 6 pm, Montco OIC (Arch and Basin Sts.) will have a public Toys for Tots day for families who need help this holiday season. The toys are mostly for infants to 8 years. If you know a family in Montgomery County (must be residents) who may not have a Christmas this year, have them stop by THIS FRIDAY between 4-6 pm. More info at http://bit.ly/Toys-For-Tots-Day or email info@montcooic.org or call 610-279-9700.

Friday (and every 3rd Friday from now on) from 9 pm to midnight, "The Spitwell Show" at Jus' Java (317 Swede). Spoken Word Open Mic. $5 admission, which will benefit a local youth non-profit org.

Saturday beginning at 10:30 am at Zachary's BBQ (1709 Markley Street), Feed The Burbs will present "Introduction to Permaculture and Soil Building Workshop." Although winter is just starting, now is the perfect time to start thinking about spring planting. One guaranteed benefit for your garden is to focus on building rich soil. Help us lay the foundation for a great garden while learning the tips and tricks to building healthy soil, with no digging necessary. Sponsored by Zachary's BBQ, http://www.zacharysbbq.com/.

Saturday, 7:30 pm, Building 33, Norristown State Hospital, the Montgomery County Emergency Services staff will present the play "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. The cast includes MCES crisis workers, case managers, social workers, registered nurses, psychiatric technicians, allied therapists, administration. Admission, FREE. Donations to the MCES Patient Fund will be accepted. All proceeds from intermission concessions will be donated to the MCES Patient Fund. Enter from Sterigere Street via Gate 2, proceed on Circle Drive and park in the designated areas by Building 33. The play will also run Sunday at 2 pm. More info at this link.

Immediate job openings at Family Services of Montgomery County for CTC Parent Education Facilitator/Cheltenham Township, and Bilingual Parent Outreach Specialist/Pottstown. more info at http://fsmontco.org/about/employment-and-internships.

One last item: I'll be singing with Colonial Revelers at Valley Forge Park tonight between 6 and 8 in the visitor center. It's the anniversary of the Continental Army's arrival at Valley Forge and lots of family activities are planned. Come out and bring your kids.

Merry Everything!

Scary Stuff on Council's Agenda Tonight

I can't make the Council Workshop Meeting tonight, but if you plan to go, don't worry if you have to be a little late. The interesting stuff is on page 2 of the agenda (also the most scary item--see bullet point 3).

First, they'll be approving council meeting dates for 2015, and giving the okay to a few new handicapped parking spots. There's a motion to extend J.P. Mascaro's contract, but interestingly, only for 90 days. A motion for a supplemental Roadway Lighting Agreement with PennDOT, but no explanation of what that means.

So, page 2 -- There's a motion to "declare the telecommunications facilities provisions of the Norristown Zoning Ordinance Invalid." I looked up the Zoning Ordinance and found Section 320-243, which deals with the size and placement of antennas, satellite dishes, cell towers, etc. If they're throwing all that out, I hope they'll replace it with equal or better safeguards or Norristown could start looking like a cell tower forest.

Finally, under "Items for Discussion," the first bullet point is labeled simply "Carver Request." I think quite a lot of people in this town would want more description under that agenda item. I have no clue what it means.

Bullet point 2: "Going green on a larger scale (where possible)." To paraphrase Groucho Marx, whatever it is, I'm for it. I think the Municipality could save a load of money in the long run by investing a little now to wean our government off the use of fossil fuels and non-renewable resources. At least, I hope that's what that item means.

Bullet point 3, the last item on the agenda. Here's the scary stuff: "Potential closing of one or more fire house." The reason is implied in the next sentence: "Could it further strengthen the volunteer base at 3 locations instead of 4?" Apparently we're short on volunteer fire personnel.

The 4 stations they mean are Montgomery Hose at Freedley and Pine, Fairmount #2 on W Main, Hancock on W Airy, and Norristown Hose at Dekalb and Chestnut. Granted, Norristown is only 4 square miles, yet we can get gridlocked with traffic at times. I know from experience that it can take a good 10 or 15 minutes to drive from Elmwood Park to the Dannehower Bridge. Sure, I don't have a big truck with siren and lights, but if my house is on fire, I like the thought that the nearest fire station is only 5 and a half blocks away. Ask any fire fighter the kind of damage a fire can do in 10 minutes. Not to mention all the other things our volunteer firemen do--like when my elderly neighbor's roof collapsed in the middle of the night during a horrendous storm. It was our fire volunteers who came to her aid at 3 in the morning.

What's really frightening is that Council is considering closing fire stations while allowing, even encouraging developers like Sarah Peck and Mark Chalphin to build the densest housing Norristown has ever seen, not to mention new 4-story senior housing--and all built of wood. Yes, new construction should have sprinklers, but do you want to be a neighbor of something like that if it catches fire, especially if your firehouse is one of the ones that closes?

And what of the personnel themselves? At one point do we start worrying that we may not have enough firefighters to serve our community. The folks who argue that Norristown is a city haven't been very vocal lately. Maybe issues like this have made them realize that if we want to go in that direction, we need urban infrastructure, which means professional fire personnel. With that kind of incentive, the fire department could do a presentation at the high school each year showing that being a fire fighter can be as viable a career choice as law enforcement in Norristown. Right now, as Fairmont Engine Company puts it on their Facebook page, "We offer long hours, No pay, Nights away from family, And some of the best Firefighters around, backed by 160 years of pride and dedication."

When a house is on fire, though, the occupants aren't thinking about 160 years of history. We need fire stations and personnel who are there NOW.

A College Campus in Norristown!

Now that I have your attention, I'll start at the beginning. Yesterday I went to the Norristown Preservation Society's Christmas party (see? You join organizations in N-town and you get the fringe benefit of being invited to parties). They held it at the old Hancock School, which is now the Montgomery County Opportunities Industrialization Center at Arch and Basin Sts.

The building is owned by the OIC's Denise Ashe. Her son Shae (who most of you know as the genius behind The Norristown Project) was nice enough to give us a tour. It was built in 1896 and opened as Norristown's first public school in 1897. In the 1960s, the new Hancock was built, but the old school was almost immediately repurposed as the OIC--sort of a technical (or trade) school before the first tech school opened in the county. In the 1990s and early 2000s, the building was restored, even the  windows, in the 1890s style. It's beautiful inside, with the original beadboard and wood moldings and hardwood floors. The structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. It houses not only the OIC but a before and afterschool day care on the first floor.

But the exciting news is that the OIC is now starting to restore the classrooms in the basement for themselves because a section of their rooms on the 2nd floor will become Cabrini College's Norristown Campus.

The OIC's interior

I've noticed Cabrini getting more involved with our community--groups have come up to work on the Schuylkill River Trail and do other service projects. And I've met Cabrini interns working with N-town businesses. But this is the first I'd heard of an actual campus in town. Great news.

It also proves that our beautiful old buildings don't have to be demolished. They can be repurposed and continue to serve the community--usually for less money and you get a good solid brick building in the process. And we don't have to give up Norristown's classic architectural character.

We'll be celebrating the 100th anniversary of another school this week--Roosevelt School at Markley and Sterigere. It opened in 1914 and was named after Theodore Roosevelt, who'd been president from 1901-1909. I attended Roosevelt from kindergarten to 6th grade, so I'm a bit biased toward the school. I've heard ideas floated in the last year or two about knocking down Roosevelt. I think the OIC is a prime example of why knocking down our old buildings is a BAD idea. Even if we stop using Roosevelt as a public school, who's to say Cabrini won't be looking for extra classroom space in a few years, or that another college might not want to also open a campus here?

This Thursday from 5:45-7 pm, you can take a tour of Roosevelt and celebrate its anniversary, but you must RSVP by calling 610-275-9720 or emailing gbennet@nasd.k12.pa.us no later than TODAY.