Annual Tech Conference Explores The Next Generation Of Teaching & Learning

Blue Bell, PA — Registration is going on now for Montgomery County Community College’s 21st Annual Technology and Learning Conference, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, in Blue Bell.

Designed for faculty and administrators from both higher education and K-12 sectors, the conference provides a forum for participants to share state-of-the-art information technologies, contribute to a vision of the future of information technology in the academic enterprise, and exchange ideas and best practices for incorporating technology, security and learning.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Reinventing the Classroom,” and sessions are organized around five threads: e-Learning; Teaching and Learning Innovation; Data and Analytics; IT Infrastructure and Cloud Computing; and Security and Identity Management.

The conference will begin with a keynote address by Dr. Diana Oblinger, president emeritus of EDUCAUSE, a non-profit association of 2,400 colleges, universities and education organizations that works to advance higher education through the use of information technology.

During her presentation, Dr. Oblinger will discuss connected learning and the ways information technology is allowing educators to create the next generation of learning, for the next generation of learners. She will explore emerging information technology models that focus on competencies, collaboration, personalization and analytics.

The cost of attending MCCC’s Technology and Learning Conference is $25, which 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/techday. Questions can be emailed to techday@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community College is ranked second in the country for its use of technology according to the 2015 Digital Community Colleges Survey issued by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education (CDE). The 250 data-point survey analyzes how community colleges use digital technologies to improve services to students, faculty, staff and the community at large. MCCC has ranked in the survey’s top 10 large community colleges since CDE introduced it a decade ago.

Job Fair At Sunnybrook Ballroom, September 15th

Althouse Arboretum News & More‏

Grand Opening & Community Picnic!
11am to 1pm  Begins with 5k Trail Run at 10am

Come out and join us for a celebration!  We will officially open the Arboretum at 11:00 AM with a very brief ceremony followed by a community picnic.  There will be food, art exhibits, a silent auction, and other great organizations that will be joining us as we have fun and thank all the volunteers that helped create this amazing place called the Althouse Arboretum.  Take the opportunity to relax, meet with neighbors, enjoy some walks along our trails and find out what the Arboretum is all about.

We’re also having a silent auction at the picnic to raise money for the Arboretum. We already have several beautiful gift baskets donated. If you’d like to donate an item for the auction contact Nancy.

Sprogel’s Run
5K Race & Walk

Saturday, September 26th, opens at 9:00 am
Cost: $20 for 3 mile run   $10 for Fun Run and Walk
A 5k run along Sprogel’s Run Trail.  Or join other community members in a 1or 2 mile (your choice after the half-way point!) WALK or FUN RUN. Ending at the beautiful Althouse Arboretum where we will be celebrating our GRAND OPENING with a short ceremony and community picnic!
Details, Maps and Registration info here.

Volunteer Days

Saturday & Sunday, August 29th & 30th, 2015,
Come any time in between 10:00 am & 3:00 pm
We’ll be doing a little of everything!
Families welcomed!
No experience necessary!
No preregistration!

Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance 2015-2016 Season‏

ALLENTOWN, PA — Muhlenberg College’s nationally-ranked Theatre & Dance Department announces its 2015-2016 mainstage season. Highlights include works ranging from James Joyce’s “Ulysses” to 18th commedia dell’arte; a biannual festival of student-written plays; and production of the musical theatre classic “Chicago.”

The season features six fully mounted theatrical productions and three mainstage dance concerts, running from September 2015 to April 2016.

“This exciting season features the new and the newly imagined,” says Beth Schachter, chair of the department. “We are presenting world premieres and fresh versions of classics, spanning international topics and American issues through comedic and serious projects.”

The season begins with “New Voices,” Sept. 30 through Oct. 4, a new-play festival featuring the work of current Muhlenberg students. The festival features four world premiere short plays, with Schachter serving as artistic director.

The old razzle dazzle of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s electrifying Jazz Age musical “Chicago” comes to the Muhlenberg stage for the first time ever, Oct. 30 through Nov. 8. Directed by theatre program director Charles Richter, “Chicago” is a scintillating tale of greed, murder, showbiz — and all that jazz.

“Moving Stories,” Nov. 12-14, features original choreography by the department’s upperclass dance majors, in a variety of genres and styles. The concert showcases dance as storytelling, narration in human form, addressing themes as broad ranging as the students’ own diverse backgrounds. Karen Dearborn serves as artistic director.

Carlo Goldoni’s classic 1746 comedy “Servant of Two Masters” finishes the fall schedule, Dec. 3-6, directed by Muhlenberg faculty member Francine Roussel. Presented in the classic tradition of the Italian Renaissance, the play features stock characters of the commedia dell’arte style, wearing traditional-style masks and costumes.

“Master Choreographers,” Feb. 6-8, with artistic direction by Karen Dearborn, features eight works by faculty and guest artists, including a piece by renowned choreographer Karol Armitage, sponsored by the Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation. Also included will be works by Shelley Oliver, Heidi Cruz-Austin, Jeffrey Peterson, and program chair Karen Dearborn.

The “New Visions” Directors’ Festival, Feb. 24-28 will feature three short plays directed by senior Muhlenberg directing students: “Terrible Beautiful Bodies,” by Muhlenberg alumni Ben Nassau and Moriah Benjoseph; “Hello Out There,” by William Saroyan; and “The Exception and the Rule,” by Bertolt Brecht.

“Dance Emerge,” April 21-24, showcases the ideas and talents of our brightest young choreographers. The intimate Dance Studio Theatre is the backdrop for innovative, explorative dance pieces. Jeffrey Peterson serves as artistic director.

The Muhlenberg Circus Workshop now in its third year, will present an evening of contemporary circus in the college’s Studio Theatre, April 21-24. The Workshop’s performances combine the talents of aerialists, acrobats, jugglers, dancers, actors and other skilled artists in an evening of interactive and energetic performances.

A portion of James Joyce’s classic novel “Ulysses” is adapted for the stage in “Ulysses in Nighttown,” April 28 – May 1. Directed by theatre professor James Peck, the play tackles the rich language of Joyce’s esoteric 1922 novel — in particular, Episode 15, the “Circe” episode, taking place in Nighttown, Dublin’s red-light district.

The mainstage performance series is produced by Muhlenberg College’s acclaimed Theatre & Dance Department, The Princeton Review consistently ranks Muhlenberg’s production program in the top 20 in the nation, including a No. 6 ranking in its current college guide. The Fiske Guide to Colleges lists both the theater and dance programs among the top small college programs in the United States.

Tickets and information: 484-664-3333 or http://muhlenberg.edu/theatre&dance. Discounts are available for packages of four or more productions.

Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential college located in Allentown, Pa., approximately 90 miles west of New York City. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, sciences, business, education and public health. A member of the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg competes in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

HOOVER FINANCIAL ADVISORS OFFERS TOP 10 CREDIT TIPS

Pete Hoover

Malvern, PA – Hoover Financial Advisors, PC, celebrates its 10^th anniversary with a series of Top 10 Lists. The first involves valuable advice to preserve good credit.

“Too much credit? Too little credit? No credit? Good credit? Bad credit? There are so many considerations when protecting and managing personal and business credit,” indicates HFA founder Pete Hoover, CFP. “Lenders generally rely on five key factors when evaluating individual or company credit worthiness. Sometimes called the 5 Cs, there are: Credit History; Capacity; Collateral; Capital; and Conditions.”

The most widely used credit scores are created by Fair Isaac Corporation or FICO. Ninety percent of top lenders use this resource to help them make billions of credit-related decisions every year.  A person with credit has a FICO score at each of the three credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. Each score is based on information the reporting bureaus keep on file about individuals with various types of credit. Data and scores may be different at each one.  Base FICO scores have a 300 to 850 range. Although many lenders seek FICO scores when making decisions, there is no single cutoff score used to calculate interest rates.

“Credit can be a wonderful thing – if it is good,” qualifies Hoover. “For example, someone with a credit score of 840 is just 10 points below the highest possible rating. That person could pay more than $90,000 less on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage for a $300,000 home. Be sure to take charge of your credit health and keep your scores strong. The rewards are ample,” he concludes.

Hoover’s Top 10 List:

1. Establish a positive credit history by opening and responsibly managing a secured credit card.
2. Get current on any missed payments. Delinquent accounts may stay on credit report files for up to seven years.
3. Always pay bills on time with at least the minimum amount due.
4. Stay within credit limits on cards or lines of credit.
5. Review credit scores annually and report discrepancies promptly. Free reports can be ordered by linking to http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com or calling 1.877.322.8228 and following instructions.
6. Pay down high interest rate debt first.
7. Don’t open new credit accounts you don’t plan on using.
8. Set a monthly budget and maintain it.
9. When possible, consolidate debt into a lower interest rate account.
10. Pay more than minimum amounts on monthly bills.

Hoover, who has more than 30 years industry experience, is a multiple Five Star Wealth Manager, which is achieved by fewer than seven percent of area financial advisors. He launched Hoover Financial Advisors in 2005. The firm was selected as the 2012 Small Business of the Year by Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry and the year before it was named among the top financial planners in the Philadelphia region. Headquartered on Moores Road in Malvern, HFA is an independent discretionary firm with no product ties. Services include wealth management, cash flow management, estate planning, retirement planning, financial forecasting, plan preparation and implementation, income tax strategies, insurance solutions and management of financial needs after the death of a loved one. For more information, visit its website at petehoover.com or call 610.651.2777.

Information for this news release was obtained from Wells Fargo; AnnualCreditReport.com; Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information (consumer.ftc.gov); creditcard.com. 

Explore The Night Sky This Fall During Community Nights In MCCC’s Observatory

PHOTO: Kelli Spangler, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, operates the MEADE Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope in Montgomery County Community College’s Observatory. Photo by Matt Carlin

Blue Bell, Pa.—Members of the community are invited to explore the night sky this fall during three open community nights in Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) state-of-the-art Observatory and Observation Deck.

Fall 2015 commuity nights will be held from 8-10 p.m. on Mondays, Sept. 21, Oct. 12 and Nov. 9. The Observatory is located on the third floor of MCCC’s Advanced Technology Center at its Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell.

Community nights are free of charge and are open to the public; astronomy clubs are welcome to participate. Students from MCCC’s Introduction to Astronomy course volunteer during the event to share their knowledge and assist visitors with using the telescope and viewing equipment. 

Montgomery County Community College’s Observatory features a 16-inch MEADE Schmidt-Cassegrain research-level telescope and a 90-mm Coronado telescope for safe observation of the sun. All of the instruments are controllable both in the classroom as well as in the Observatory itself. Through a fiber network, images can be downloaded for further study and comparison and can be used in online courses. 

For more information about the College’s Observatory, including events, directions, and affiliated associations, visit http://www.mc3.edu/campus-life/observatory.

All Observatory events are subject to weather conditions. In the event of inclement or questionable weather, call the observatory hotline, 215-641-6460, an hour prior to the event for possible cancellation information.

“Here To Help Job Fair” Coming to SunnyBrook

On Tuesday, September 15, 2015, Senator John Rafferty is hosting a “Here To Help Job Fair” for residents of the 44th State Senatorial District. This Job Fair is designed to be an opportunity for job seekers to connect with businesses and organizations within the region who are seeking qualified employees.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

at the Sunnybrook Ballroom: 50 Sunnybrook Road, Pottstown, PA 19464.

This event is being held in partnership with TriCounty Community Network.

Montgomery County Nonprofit Workshop Series, Thursday, September 10th

Parent Cafe Coming To Pottstown This Fall

BOYERTOWN AREA MULTI-SERVICE, INC. BASKET RAFFLE

BOYERTOWN AREA MULTI-SERVICE, INC. Save the Date and Join the Fun BASKET RAFFLE Friday, August 28th, 2015 at 5:00pm Binder Hall at Gilbertsville Fire Company

5:00 pm – Preview all baskets, place raffle tickets in the baskets of your choice, enjoy a bit to eat and drink with your friends. Vote for your favorite basket. Food will be available for purchase, but outside food will not be permitted.

Basket Raffle Tickets – Additional raffle tickets will be available for purchase from 5 pm to 7:20 pm. Cash, checks and credit cards will be accepted.

Special Raffle Tickets – Special tickets will be available to purchase for the larger Specialty Items and 50/50 cash drawing.

7:30 pm – The drawing of all winning tickets for the baskets, Specialty Items, 50/50, and Door Prizes. You must be present to win.

Award Presentation – The basket voted as the ‘favorite’ will receive an award.

Admission Ticket $20 Admission tickets purchased in advance will receive 15 Basket Raffle Tickets. Admission tickets purchased at the door will include 10 Basket Raffle Tickets. Admission ticket is the door prize ticket.

We are looking for Basket Builders! We are looking for organizations, special groups, businesses, individuals, teams, etc. to donate baskets to be raffled. Baskets should range in value from $25 and up. A list of basket contents should accompany the basket. Here’s something new! When you donate a basket for the raffle, you will receive a coupon good for 5 free raffle tickets at the basket raffle. Your basket needs to be received at Multi-Service by Friday, August 21, 2015. Any baskets received after the deadline will not be listed in the program.

We would like to have at least 120 baskets for the raffle.

If you would like to build a basket or put a team together to build a basket for the raffle, please let us know. Either complete and submit the following information to: Boyertown Area Multi-Service, 200 West Spring Street, Boyertown, PA 19512, or send an email to jhoward@boyertownareamulti-service.org. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please send again until your receive an acknowledgement.

Name of Basket Donor: ___________________________________________________

Contact Name: ___________________________________

Phone# __________________________

E-mail address: _______________________________________________________

Theme for your basket:___________________________________________

Contact Karen Youse or Jill Howard at 610-367-6957 with any questions. Thank you for your support!!!

TCN Basket Bingo Fundraiser, Friday, October 23rd @ 6 pm

Mosaic Community Gardens Are THRIVING!‏

POTTSTOWN, PA – This Saturday (August 22), Mosaic will roll out its produce stand…offering up some of the season’s best vegetables!  Tomatoes, potatoes, squash, pepper (sweet and hot), eggplant and sweet potatoes will be offered from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.  We will have other surprise offerings for sale on the stand that afternoon.  Please plan to pay us a visit before running your errands or buying from a big chain superstore!

That said, we need donations from gardeners…if you have more produce than you can pick (or eat) please let us know.  We will gladly accept your donations to sell on our produce cart this Saturday!  We will be at the gardens throughout Friday afternoon harvesting for weekend sales.  Please email me if you would like to donate vegetables (grown at your home or the community gardens) to a worthy cause!

In partnership with National Penn Bank and Genesis Housing, Mosaic is set to host another Movie Night at the Chestnut Street Park! KOOKOO the Cartoon Magician will begin the event with a magic show at 7:30 PM that day!  We have a great night planned and EVERYONE is invited!

Mosaic’s Summer Enrichment Program ended with a bang!

80 students ranging from 5-17 years old attended camp and learned more about gardening, nutrition, arts/culture, music and physical activity as each relates to different regions of the world.  In each weekly program, we chose age-appropriate instruction in African-American, Latin, Native American and Caribbean cultures.  The children retained more information from week to week using this well-rounded approach to learning.  They formed “families” and made delicious meals together, played musical instruments some had never seen or played before, harvested items from the gardens that related to the week’s teaching and made instruments specific to each culture using recycled materials.

The summer program ended with an appreciation ice cream social at the high school to celebrate their volunteer efforts at each of the gardens and the local park, and a field trip to the Althouse Arboretum for the younger students was provided…the campers went on an hour-long trail walk/scavenger hunt while learning the reason why arboretums exist.  Some of the students said that having an arboretum in our own back yards is super-cool!

It was a great summer, thanks to all those who volunteered during the program!  A special thanks to our partners and supporters, ArtFusion, Olivet’s Boys and Girls Club, STRIVE Initiative, the Pottstown Athletic Club, Genesis Housing and Penn National Bank!

Mosaic is looking to celebrate the fall season by hosting a fall cleanup potluck social at the gardens!  We will be looking for families to come out, clean up and prepare our gardens for the winter season.  Create your best potluck recipe for this special event! “Bee” on the look-out for more information in an upcoming email…coming in September!

MCCC, Whitpain Township To Screen ‘Jurassic World’ At Drive-In‏

Blue Bell, Pa.—Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) and Whitpain Township’s Department of Parks and Recreation will present “Jurassic World” as a drive-in movie on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The film will begin at dusk in the Morris Road parking lot at MCCC’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Admission is $10 per car for the general public and is $5 with a valid MCCC student/faculty/staff ID. Concessions will be available for purchase.

The fourth installment in the Jurassic series, “Jurassic World” is set 22 years after the events of “Jurassic Park” on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar, where a fully-functioning dinosaur theme park has operated for 10 years. The park plunges into chaos when a genetically modified dinosaur breaks loose and runs rampant across the island.

The film is directed by Colin Trevorrow and stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, B.D. Wong and Irrfan Khan. “Jurassic World” is rated PG-13 and runs two hours, four minutes.

For more information, visit http://www.whitpainrec.com.

Pa. Labor & Industry Secretary Visits Montgomery County Community College, Learns About Job Opportunities Created Through Education

PHOTO: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino (center) is pictured with Montgomery County Community College Biotechnology students (left) during her visit to the institution’s Central Campus in Blue Bell on Aug. 17. Also pictured from MCCC are Assistant Professor of Biotechnology Dr. Margaret Bryans and Interim President Dr. James Linksz, along with Dr. Karin Abarca Heidemann (far right), director of research and development at Rockland Immunochemical, Inc., which is one of the College’s industry partners.

Blue Bell/Lansdale, Pa.— Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino met with students and faculty at Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) Central Campus in Blue Bell and Culinary Arts Institute (CAI) in Lansdale on Aug. 17 as part of Governor Tom Wolf’s “Jobs That Pay” tour.

At the Central Campus, Secretary Manderino toured MCCC’s Biotechnology, Dental Hygiene and Nursing laboratories to learn about how the state’s investment in those programs and students benefits workforce and economic development in the Commonwealth. At the CAI, she met with students and faculty chefs before engaging in a round table discussion with MCCC leaders.

“The associate’s degree is a valuable credential for community college graduates in Pennsylvania. In fact, most of our students in career-track programs like Dental Hygiene, Biotechnology and Culinary Arts have jobs lined up before they graduate,” explained Dr. James Linksz, interim president, MCCC. “Our graduates also provide much-needed human resources to the region. According to a recent graduate survey, 68 percent of alumni are employed in Montgomery County and 97 percent are employed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

During her visit to MCCC, Secretary Manderino had the opportunity to talk with some of the college’s industry partners who benefit from student interns and graduates. For example, while touring the Biotechnology lab, she met Dr. Karin Abarca Heidemann, director of research and development from Rockland Immunochemical, Inc. in Limerick, Pa., which employs three recent MCCC graduates and offers internship opportunities to current students.

She also met Dr. Mark Schafer, president and COO of PhotoSonix Medical, Inc., a start-up company that rents a workstation in MCCC’s Biotech lab and provides the program’s students with valuable internship experience.

“Biopharmaceuticals is the fastest growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry, and there is a growing need for trained technicians to manufacture these drugs, especially as generic versions start to be produced,” explained Dr. Margaret Bryans, assistant professor of Biotechnology at MCCC. “In addition to the four major pharmaceutical companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania, there are more than 100 small biotechnology companies in the Greater Philadelphia Region, offering exceptional career opportunities to our graduates.”

MCCC offers a two-year Associate in Applied Science degree in Biotechnology, as well as a 16-credit Certificate of Completion, designed to provide hands-on, industry-relevant training to students who already hold associate’s or bachelor’s degrees and who wish to retrain for careers in the biotech field.

Before arriving at MCCC for the day, Secretary Manderino and her team toured VideoRay, a Pottstown-based manufacturer of underwater remotely operated vehicles, which is another of the College’s key industry partners.

MCCC Dental Hygiene Clinic Seeks Patients For Fall Semester

PHOTO: Students work in the Dental Hygiene Clinic at Montgomery County Community College.

Blue Bell, Pa.— The Dental Hygiene Clinic at Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) Central Campus in Blue Bell is actively recruiting patients with periodontal, or gum, disease for the fall semester. Patients will be screened for eligibility on Monday, Sept. 14 by appointment, and those who qualify will begin treatment.

Treatment includes a complete assessment of the patient’s oral and periodontal health; dental x-rays, if necessary; education in self-care; scaling; tooth polishing; and fluoride treatment. Multiple, three-hour appointments are necessary.

Interested persons should contact the Dental Hygiene Clinic at 215-641-6483 and leave a message with their name and telephone number. The Clinic is located in room 211 of the Science Center, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell, near the Morris Road entrance to the campus.

MCCC’s Dental Hygiene Clinic has been providing the public with comprehensive preventive dental hygiene services since 1973. Licensed dentists and dental hygiene faculty supervise all treatment procedures in the College’s state-of-the-art laboratory. The Clinic operates September through May, by appointment, and is part of Dental Hygiene students’ clinical requirements.

For a full list of services and fees, or to learn more about MCCC’s Dental Hygiene Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree program, visit http://www.mc3.edu, then click on Health Sciences, followed by Dental Hygiene.

This Year’s Darwin Award Winners

The annual honor is given to the persons who did the gene pool the biggest service by killing themselves in the most extraordinarily stupid way.  Last year’s winner was the fellow who was killed by a Coke machine which toppled over on top of him as he was attempting to tip a free soda out.  This year’s winner was a real rocket scientist… HONEST!  Read on…And remember that each and every one of these is TRUE.

And the nominees were:

Semifinalist #1
A young Canadian man, searching for a way of getting drunk cheaply, because he had no money with which to buy alcohol, mixed gasoline with milk.  Not surprisingly, this concoction made him ill, and he vomited into the fireplace in his house. The resulting explosion and fire burned his house down, killing both him and his sister.

Semifinalist #2
Three Brazilian men were flying in a light aircraft at low altitude when another plane approached. It a appears that they decided to moon the occupants of the other plane, but lost control of their own aircraft and crashed.. They were all found dead in the wreckage with their pants around their ankles.

Semifinalist #3
A 22-year-old Reston , VA , man was found dead after he tried to use octopus straps to bungee jump off a 70-foot railroad trestle. Fairfax County police said Eric Barcia, a fast food worker, taped a bunch of these straps together, wrapped an end around one foot, anchored the other end to the trestle at Lake Accosting Park , jumped and hit the pavement. Warren Carmichael, a police spokesman, said investigators think Barcia was alone because his car was found nearby. ‘The length of the cord that he had assembled was greater than the distance between the trestle and the ground,’ Carmichael said. Police say the apparent cause of death was ‘Major trauma.’

Semifinalist #4
A man in Alabama died from rattlesnake bites. It seems that he and a friend were playing a game of catch, using the rattlesnake as a ball. The friend – no doubt a future Darwin Awards candidate – was hospitalized.

Semifinalist #5

Employees in a medium-sized warehouse in west Texas noticed the smell of a gas leak. Sensibly, management evacuated the building extinguishing all potential sources of ignition; lights, power, etc.
After the building had been evacuated, two technicians from the gas company were dispatched. Upon entering the building, they found they had difficulty navigating in the dark. To their frustration, none of the lights worked. Witnesses later described the sight of one of the technicians reaching into his pocket and retrieving an object that resembled a cigarette lighter!  Upon operation of the lighter-like object, the gas in the warehouse exploded, sending pieces of it up to three miles away. Nothing was found of the technicians, but the lighter was virtually untouched by the explosion. The technician suspected of causing the blast had never been thought of as ”bright” by his peers.

Now, the winner of this year’s Darwin Award (awarded, as always, posthumously):

The Arizona Highway Patrol came upon a pile of smoldering metal embedded in the side of a cliff rising above the road at the apex of a curve. The wreckage resembled the site of an airplane crash, but it was a car. The type of car was unidentifiable at the scene. Police investigators finally pieced together the mystery. An amateur rocket scientist…. had somehow gotten hold of a J A T O unit (Jet Assisted Take Off, actually a solid fuel rocket) that is used to give heavy military transport planes an extra ‘push’ for taking off from short airfields. He had driven his Chevy Impala out into the desert and found a long, straight stretch of road. He attached the J A T O unit to the car, jumped in, got up some speed and fired off the J A T O!

The facts as best as could be determined are that the operator of the 1967 Impala hit the J A T O ignition at a distance of approximately 3.0 miles from the crash site. This was established by the scorched and melted asphalt at that location.

The J A T O, if operating properly, would have reached maximum thrust within 5 seconds, causing the Chevy to reach speeds well in excess of 350 mph and continuing at full power for an additional 20 -25 seconds.

The driver, and soon to be pilot, would have experienced G-forces usually reserved for dog fighting F -14 jocks under full afterburners, causing him to become irrelevant for the remainder of the event.

However, the automobile remained on the straight highway for about 2.5 miles (15-20 seconds) before the driver applied and completely melted the brakes, blowing the tires and leaving thick rubber marks on the road surface, then becoming airborne for an additional 1.4 miles and impacting the cliff face at a height of 125 feet leaving a blackened crater 3 feet deep in the rock.

Most of the driver’s remains were not recoverable. However, small fragments of bone, teeth and hair were extracted from the crater, and fingernail and bone shards were removed from a piece of debris believed to be a portion of the steering wheel.

Epilogue: It has been calculated that this moron attained a ground speed of approximately 420-mph, though much of his voyage was not actually on the ground. You couldn’t make this stuff up, could you?

………. AND PEOPLE JUST LIKE THIS ARE ALL AROUND US, BREEDING & VOTING!!!

TCN Announces Hiring Of Holly Parker As Executive Director

The Board of Directors at TriCounty Community Network (TCN) is proud to announce the hiring of Holly Parker as the agency’s new Executive Director. Ms. Parker will join TCN on Monday, August 31st.

Ms. Parker has served the Tri County Community for the last six years while working at Montgomery County Community College. Previous to her tenure at MCCC, Parker served in various leadership roles for several local nonprofit organizations, including Interim Executive Director and Director of Development. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from West Chester University and a Master of Science degree from Colorado State University. A lifelong Pottstown resident, Parker has a deep commitment to and understanding of the Tri County area and has received several commendations for her fundraising, grant writing, and community outreach.

“On behalf of TCN’s Board, I am excited about Holly leading our organization in the coming years. Her experience in relationship and funder development in nonprofit, plus her knowledge of the community, provide a great mix of leadership that I feel will help take our organization to new levels,” said Tom Thunstrom, President of the TCN Board of Directors. “Holly’s diplomacy, personality, and character will help our organization build relationships in the Tri County community and will strengthen an already strong collaborative, helping us to be THE resource for developing and empowering partnerships to effect positive change in the region.”

TCN’s 2015-2016 program year kicks off on Tuesday, September 15th, from 8 to 10 AM in the South Meeting Hall at Montgomery County Community College’s West Campus. Additionally, TCN is proud to partner with Senator John Rafferty for his office’s third annual Job Fair, also scheduled for September 15th at Sunnybrook Ballroom from 10 AM to 1 PM.

For more information on TCN, visit our website at http://www.tcnetwork.org or call 610.850.0181.

VIDEO: Teachers Exercise At The Hill School In Pottstown During Wellness Seminar

New Arts Partnership To Form Audience Analytics‏

The Lehigh Valley Arts Council (LVAC) announces a new partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (GPCA) , the formation of Audience Analytics of the Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Region. As of July 1, 2015, seventy-five participating cultural nonprofits in a ten county area now gain access to an expanded market of more than two million arts households. Audience Analytics is a strategic audience development program, designed to improve marketing intelligence and build audiences. Participating arts and cultural organizations in both regions are provided with the training, tools, and expertise to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. “This partnership is very exciting in so many ways, from audience development to organizational sustainability,” said Randall Forte , LVAC Executive Director. “From a cultural tourism perspective, it allows the Lehigh Valley cultural community to expand their reach and increase the number of out-of-area attendees.” Audience Analytics has contracted Target Resource Group, the nation’s leading provider of data management and consulting services, for use of TRG’s new and robust Data Center system. When an organization’s data is uploaded into the system, it is first cleansed and certified though the USPS National Change of Address. Household records are then appended with demographic, psychographic, and geographic characteristics, allowing organizations to analyze their patrons in variety of powerful ways. By obtaining these insights, participants are able to make the most efficient and effective use of their marketing and programming dollars. In addition, Data Center allows organizations to identify their best potential trading partners and streamlines the mailing list exchanges. All trades are 100% permission based, ensuing organizations retain 100% control of their data. The Lehigh Valley Arts Council had been in discussion about forming this partnership with GPCA prior to launching the Cultural List Exchange Co-Op in 2013. The past two years were devoted to establishing a core group of Lehigh Valley organizations and providing them with enough time to learn the system and get up to speed with the more seasoned Philadelphia organizations. The participants include a wide range of cultural organizations representing the performing arts, visual arts, literary and media arts, as well as historical and cultural institutions. From the Lehigh Valley, the core group includes: Act 1 DeSales University Performing Arts Allentown Art Museum Allentown Symphony Association Bach Choir of Bethlehem Baum School of Art Civic Theatre of Allentown Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites Lehigh Valley Arts Council Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra Repertory Dance Theatre The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts Touchstone Theatre Williams Center for the Arts Youth Education in the Arts Zoellner Arts Center Included among the Philadelphia organizations are: Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Arden Theatre Company Bristol Riverside Theatre Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia Curtis Institute of Music Delaware Shakespeare Festival Delaware Theatre Company Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Longwood Gardens Opera Philadelphia Philadelphia Museum of Art The Barnes Foundation The Franklin Institute The Philadelphia Orchestra Association The Wilma Theater Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library If you or your organization would like additional information about the program, contact Kim Infante at the Lehigh Valley Arts Council at clec@lvartscouncil.org. The Lehigh Valley Arts Council thanks our Founding Partner, Discover Lehigh Valley, and our corporate and foundation supporters for their investment toward the initial development of this program and their support for the Lehigh Valley Arts Council in uniting the nonprofit sector.

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About the Lehigh Valley Arts Council The Lehigh Valley Arts Council is the region’s central voice for the arts, promoting arts awareness and advocating its value while strengthening access to the arts for all citizens in our community. The Arts Council’s mission is to promote the arts; to encourage and support artists and their development; to assist arts organizations; and to facilitate communication and cooperation among artists, arts organizations, and the community. Services include arts research and advocacy, professional development seminars, publications, and cooperative regional marketing initiatives.

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Lehigh Valley Arts Council 840 Hamilton Street, Suite 201 Allentown, PA 18101 610-437-5915 / operations@LVArtsCouncil.org www.LVArtsCouncil.org / www.LVArtsBoxOffice.org

August Fun, Races And More At The Althouse Arboretum‏

Grand Opening & Community Picnic!
11am to 1pm  Begins with 5k Trail Run at 10am

Come out and join us for a celebration!  We will officially open the Arboretum at 11AM with a very brief ceremony followed by a community picnic.  Come out for food, art exhibits, and other great organizations that will be joining us as we thank all the volunteers that helped create this amazing place called the Althouse Arboretum.  Take the opportunity to enjoy some walks along our trails and find out what the Arboretum is all about.

Sprogel’s Run
5K Race & Walk

Saturday, September 26th, opens at 9am
Cost: $20 for 3 mile run   $10 for Fun Run and Walk
A 5k run along Sprogel’s Run Trail.  Or join other community members in a 1or 2 mile (your choice after the half-way point!) WALK or FUN RUN. Ending at the beautiful Althouse Arboretum where we will be celebrating our GRAND OPENING with a short ceremony and community picnic!
Details, Maps and Registration info here.

Volunteer Days

Saturday & Sunday, August 29th & 30th, 2015,
Come any time in between 10am & 3pm
We’ll be doing a little of everything!
Families welcomed!
No experience necessary!
No preregistration!

Friday Gardening

Every Friday, through September 9am to 11am
We plant, we weed, we plan and more; learning from each other, getting to know one another and enjoying the outdoors, join us!

Also plants are available for purchase.

and lets not forget…

World Honeybee Day

Saturday, August 15th
Bring your favorite snack that requires a little honey. We will have jars of honey for you to enjoy while you walk around and learn about these important friends.