Registration Open For MCCC’s 20th Annual Technology & Learning Conference

Blue Bell, Pa.— Registration is going on now for Montgomery County Community College’s 20th Annual Technology and Learning Conference, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 24 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, in Blue Bell, Pa.

The cost of attending the conference is $25 and includes all conference materials, parking, continental breakfast and lunch. For registration information, including step-by-step directions to guide you through the registration process, visit http://www.mc3.edu/campus-life/techconf.

To help celebrate Montgomery County Community College’s 50th anniversary, this year’s keynote address will be given by MCCC alumnus Kwan Morrow. Morrow has been involved with Internet marketing and communication since 2001. He currently owns KM Digital Relations, which provides consulting, training and other services to businesses and educators who wish to engage their digital communities and achieve specific objectives.

During the keynote, Morrow will address the impact that digital and social technologies have on students and education. He’ll discuss best practices for using digital technology to promote student success and preparing students to thrive in the quickly evolving digital world.

MCCC’s Technology and Learning Conference provides a forum for participants to share state-of-the-art information technologies, to contribute to a vision of the future of information technology in the academic enterprise, and to exchange ideas and best practices for incorporating technology, security and learning.

Designed for higher education and K-12 faculty and administrators, the conference is divided into several threads, which include Teaching and Learning; Metrics and Measurement; Technologies to Leverage Student Success; Security and Identity Management; Emerging Technologies; Sharing Resources; and e-Learning. Session types include forums, hands-on labs, poster sessions and panel discussions.

To learn more, visit http://www.mc3.edu/campus-life/techconf or email techday@mc3.edu.

MCCC & GCC: Global Connections For Regional Impact

Blue Bell/Pottstown, Pa.— Community colleges have a proven track record in building the economic growth of the regions they serve by offering employers customized workforce development and training. But some institutions—like Montgomery County Community College (MCCC), with campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, Pa.—are thinking even bigger.

Close to 50 colleges and universities across the United States are part of the Global Corporate College (GCC), an international network that provides corporations with quality and consistent workforce training curricula for employees regardless of location, language and learning needs. Currently, GCC has global partners in 24 countries, which, according to its website, makes it the largest, multi-modal human capital development network in the world. Through a partnership with Growth Development Associates (GDA), GCC institutions also have access to extensive sales management and training curricula.

“Each GCC partner college has access to the largest body of incumbent worker training curriculum,” explains Dr. Brook Hunt, director of MCCC’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD). “As a result, this curriculum enables the colleges to build custom solutions for our customers at our competitors’ ‘off the shelf’ prices.”

Since 2012, Montgomery County Community College’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD) has partnered with both GCC and GDA to provide custom training programs and industry forums for dozens of employers in the Greater Philadelphia business community. Clients include Cobham PLC, Lansdale; Blommer Chocolate, East Greenville; Pointroll, King of Prussia; HP Hood LLC, Hatfield and Philadelphia; SKF USA, Lansdale; Stein Seal, Kulpsville; and Curtiss-Wright, EST Group, Hatfield, among others.

Those employers cite positive experiences with GCC and GDA customized training.

“Through CWD and Global Corporate College, we customized a training program for over 50 employees…based on [their] needs and the company’s training goals,” said Joanne Reagan, senior human resources manager for HP Hood, LLC. “The training program was well received. We look forward to continuing our partnership with CWD and GCC.”

“Curtiss-Wright, EST Group, partnered with CWD and Growth Development Associates to energize our sales training efforts,” says Drew Bergman, director, sales and marketing. “The program that GDA developed was specifically tailored to our business, and has resulted in increased staff focus on closing techniques and supported a current initiative to gain “add-on” product accessory sales.  The results have been outstanding.  Our staff came away charged up and excited to put the techniques to use.”

For its efforts, MCCC was recognized with three distinguished awards during GCC’s annual Institute in Indianapolis over the summer. Dr. Brook Hunt was one of two recipients of the inaugural Spirit of Global Corporate College Award, given in recognition of an individual’s exemplary commitment, spirit and contribution toward fulfilling the mission of GCC.

MCCC was also earned nine “Pig” awards for securing or expanding GCC and GDA contracts and was the only 2014 “Poodle” award recipient, which is awarded to institutions that bring in five or more new contracts.

To learn more about Montgomery County Community College’s Center for Workforce Development, visit http://www.mc3.edu, click on Areas of Study, then Business and Entrepreneurial Initiatives, followed by Center for Workforce Development.

Pottstown Municipal Airport Day

Saturday, September 27

Crafts, games, airport displays for kids. Skydiving, radio – controlled airplanes, and hot air balloon demonstrations. Talk to pilots and aircraft owners, learn about flying. Free hot dogs and snacks. Rain or Shine. NOTE: Runway under construction. No airplane rides this year. EAA Chapter 1250 Young Eagle Rally free airplane rides will return in 2015.

Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Location: Pottstown Municipal Airport

Address: 1149 Glasgow Street  Pottstown, PA 19464

Cost: Free public event

TriCounty Celebrity Auction

Psychologists: Hribal Planned To End Rampage With Suicide

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Westmoreland County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Alex Hribal, who felt “alienated” and “ostracized” at Franklin Regional High School, planned on ending his life to cap off a rampage when he stabbed and slashed 21 people at the Murrysville school, a psychologist testified Friday morning.

“He was planning on this being the end of his life,” Dr. Bruce Chambers told Westmoreland County Judge Christopher Feliciani.

Chambers was called as a witness by attorney Patrick Thomassey, who is seeking to have Hribal transferred from the juvenile detention center in Hempfield to a mental health facility.

Thomassey contends the mental condition of the 16-year-old, who suffers from schizophrenia and depression, is deteriorating.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/6849648-74/hribal-hearing-court#ixzz3EREfTwrj
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Suburban Life: County Farm Markets, Stands Offer Variety Of Gourds For Carving, Baking

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting York County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fall is here, and that means its time to begin thinking about the season’s fruits, vegetables and decorations.

Fresh-picked apples are available from mid-August through mid-November. And while pears and watermelons should be around through the first part of October, you probably won’t find corn, beans and tomatoes after the middle of September.

Pumpkins and gourds are now out in full force, along with other fall decorations including Indian corn, hay bales, corn stalks and mums.

York County has a wealth of locally owned markets and stands where you can find fall fruits, vegetables and family activities.

Read more: http://www.ydr.com/community/ci_26583752/suburban-life-pumpkins-gourds

The New Holland Fair Opens Wednesday

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Folks in eastern Lancaster County have only a few days to recover from the dizzying carnival rides and deep fried Oreos of the Ephrata Fair before the action shifts to New Holland.

The 87th New Holland Farmers Fair opens Wednesday in the 100 blocks of East and West Main Street.

The four-day fair opens with the annual Spectacle of Bands parade, Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/the-new-holland-fair-opens-wednesday/article_c82d973e-450e-11e4-b693-001a4bcf6878.html

Fair website: http://pcrdesigns.net/nhf/index.php

Wawa’s Pizza Will Probably Make You Sad

When Wawa announced earlier this week that it had begun selling pizza, it seemed—for however brief a moment—that the pizza gods had smiled down on this city, giving us yet another treat made convenient.

“Finally,” we Philadelphians thought, “a place to grab a pie at literally any time of day. And it’s Wawa, so surely the pizza is decent.”

Indeed, Wawa seemed equally confident, rolling out their newfound pizza program at all of the chain’s stores under a “Deep Dish Focaccia Pizza” moniker. What’s more, it’s available in five styles—plain, pepperoni, buffalo chicken, veggie and bacon-jalapeño—so you can change up your order depending on your preference—and all for about $6 a pop.

Unfortunately, though, what we’re dealing with here is pizza in name only.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/food_department/Wawas-pizza-will-probably-make-you-sad.html#Jpz5C35DqcBUciSw.99

Why Philly Area Gets Slighted By ‘Best Places’ List

Two of Philadelphia’s bigger burbs got mentions in Money Magazine’s annually perplexing exercise titled “Best Places to Live.”

If that seems disappointing, know this: The fault lies not in ourselves. It’s a very limited list.

Overall, Bensalem, ranked at No. 43, was the only area municipality to make Money’s Top 50, which was led by not-exactly-famous McKinney, Texas; Maple Grove, Minn.; and Carmel, Ind., in that order.

Money lauded Bensalem’s “access to stunning state parks” and such leisure options as concerts at the TD Bank Amphitheater, gambling and racing at the Parx Casino and Racetrack, and shooting at the Philadelphia Gun Club, noting “the local job market benefits from the presence of Fortune 1000 company Charming Shoppes as well as Ibanez Guitars and Tama Drums.”

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillylists/Local-town-No-2-for-Best-Places-to-Be-Rich-and-Single.html#7eG0vfTvDgxtwcMI.99

Montgomery Elks Liquor License Renewal Denied By State

POTTSTOWN — The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board denied the Montgomery Elks Lodge’s liquor license renewal on Wednesday.

While the renewal process was halted and hearings were held in June and July, the Montgomery Elks was able to operate under its license that expired officially in the spring.

As of midnight Friday, the Montgomery Elks, located on the 600 block of Walnut Street, may no longer serve alcohol, according to a letter from the Liquor Control Board obtained by The Mercury from a source.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140925/updated-montgomery-elks-liquor-license-renewal-denied-by-state