Sad. Very sad. Sadder still that previous generations' versions of this came to run Morrisville school district and boro council for so long. Many other places too. Glad some of them are out of office for a while if not permanently. New crops of ignorant reinforcements are clearly at the ready, though..
This is under the current districting, which means all of Morrisville is in the 140th PA House district, right? Anyway, Bill Hellmann, C.P.A. didn't get the Republican Party endorsement for the 140th district race. Does anyone know anything about Eric David, who got the GOP endorsement Hellmann, C.P.A. allegedly coveted? The 140th district seat is currently held by Democrat John Galloway. I wonder if Hellmann, C.P.A. will forge on in the GOP primary despite the County GOP Powers That Be not giving him the nod? I never used to care about this stuff until I moved to Morrisville. Thanks?
Bucks Republicans endorse candidates
Posted: Sunday, February 12, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 5:56 am, Sun Feb 12, 2012. By Gary Weckselblatt Staff Writer | 11 comments While most counties in Pennsylvania get three delegates to send to the Republican Convention, Bucks County will get a fourth this year — and no one can remember the last time that happened. Pat Poprik, vice chairwoman of the Bucks GOP and a committeewoman since 1977, doesn't believe it has happened during her time with the party.
She said the state uses a formula based on results from the 2008 presidential election and the 2010 gubernatorial and congressional results to give out five bonus delegates. "This is a credit to our committee people," Poprik said Friday. "It's a result of the hard work they've done." On Thursday night, county Republicans made their 2012 endorsements. For delegates from the 8th Congressional District, they chose Bensalem Mayor Joe DiGirolamo, county Commissioner Rob Loughery, state Rep. Bernie O'Neill and Poprik. Four alternates were also chosen: Larry Borda of Lower Makefield, Margo Hunt of New Britain Township, Jennifer Yori of Lower Southampton and Tom Zipfel of Hatfield Township. The committee also endorsed Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick and, for state representative, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, 18; O'Neill, 29; Helen Bosley, 31; Eric David, 140; Anthony Sposapo, 141; Rep. Frank Farry, 142; Rep. Marguerite Quinn, 143; Rep. Kathy Watson, 144; Rep. Paul Clymer, 145; and Rep. Scott Petri, 178.
Skills that pay the bills Monday, February 13, 2012 By DANNY ADLER Staff writer | 0 comments Technical school students in Bucks County racked up 121 medals, including 45 gold, in the SkillsUSA district competitions among other tech school students this year. Nineteen students from Upper Bucks County Technical School in Bedminster finished in first place in the District 11 competition, held Feb. 1 at the Agri~Plex in Allentown, Lehigh County. Sixteen students from Bucks County Technical School in Bristol Township nabbed gold medals in the District 2 competition held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Limerick, Montgomery County. Eleven students at Warwick’s Middle Bucks Institute of Technology won 10 gold medals in the District 2 competition. BCTHS and MBIT students were among roughly 400 students from Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties in 56 competitions showcasing the skills they’ve mastered through their technical programs — from cake decorating, carpentry and cosmetology to firefighting, crime scene investigations and electronics technology. UBCTS students were among 450-plus technical and career school students in Upper Bucks, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton counties facing off in 54 competitions. The gold medal winners will represent their districts at the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania State Competition from April 18 to 20 at the Hershey Lodge & Conference Center in Hershey, Dauphin County. State gold winners advance to the National SkillsUSA competition in Kansas City, Mo., in June. BCTHS came home with 44 medals total; UBCTS with 41; and MBIT with 36. “It’s like our football team,” said Craig Meyers, a BCTHS teacher and SkillsUSA adviser. “I always promote it as our sports program. We don’t have a sports program here, so this is it.” Instead of quarterbacks and running backs, this team contains culinary arts and welding students. Jessica Copeland, a 17-year-old senior studying marketing management, won the silver medal in the customer service competition. The competition put her in a situation where one has to “sink or swim,” she said. “I’ve been able to meet new people from all over. I’ve been able to have more confidence in the way that I approach people and the way I talk to them and relate to people” as a result of SkillsUSA, she said. Stephen Markee, a 17-year-old BCTHS senior who is president of SkillsUSA Pennsylvania, said a lot of students see the benefits that come from the competition. “Over the last four years it has really accelerated,” he said. Teachers and SkillsUSA advisers say the competition is a resume booster and also helps students receive scholarships. In the District 11 championship, 16-year-old Upper Bucks County Technical School junior Darian Botson took first place in the Nurse Aid Assistant competition. “I learned to remain calm and to time myself as I worked with the patients,” Botson said. “I learned to communicate and to interact with the patients. These are important skills in the workplace. “I will be taking the Certified Nursing Assistant certification through the American Red Cross in April. The competition has helped me to be ready for the certification process and future employment,” Botson said. Sixteen-year-old MBIT junior Amanda Peterson captured first place in the extemporaneous speaking competition, during which she was given a topic and five minutes to prepare a 3- to 5-minute speech. “Working under pressure is a difficult skill to obtain, but is well worth the effort. This competition helped me to grow in numerous ways. It has helped me become an individual as well as a more effective public speaker. Through SkillsUSA, I feel like my soft skills have become more developed than some of my peers. The opportunity to be involved with SkillsUSA gives me an advantage to better prepare myself for the future,” Peterson said
Anyone see this and see red? A lifelong Catholic, Christine Ochadlick said she has been driven from her house of worship by the purchase of a house for two of its priests.
In 2009, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia paid $955,000 for a home in Buckingham Township, according to the Bucks County Board of Assessment.
The 3,686-square-foot residence on Ash Mill Road sports five spacious bedrooms, three fireplaces, a three-car garage, gleaming hardwood floors, a private blue stone terrace and room for an au pair, according to a real estate advertisement posted online before the sale.
The residence is being used as a rectory, according to a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s pastoral council. Buying the home was more “cost efficient” than constructing a new building on church property, according to the parish website.
Ochadlick called it “appalling” at a time when the archdiocese is closing schools.....
They answer to an infallible man in a white dress. There's no problem here citizens. You are infringing on freedom of religion. Leave now before you are placed under arrest.
Morrisville police looking for man in armed attempted robbery
Posted: Monday, February 13, 2012 5:21 pm | Updated: 6:25 pm, Mon Feb 13, 2012. By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 0 comments MORRISVILLE -- Morrisville police are looking for a man who stopped a woman for directions, then pulled a knife and demanded money. The incident occurred as the woman was entering her home in the 500 block of Woodland Avenue about 9 p.m. Feb. 7, police said.
The suspect asked the woman for directions, then put a knife to her throat and demanded money. He ran away toward Bridge Street when the woman screamed and neighbors appeared, police said. Police described the man as tall and thin, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 5:00 am | Updated: 6:50 am, Tue Feb 14, 2012. By Gary Weckselblatt Staff Writer | 3 comments Eighth District Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick has taken $20,000 in campaign contributions from the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, who’s under investigation for insider trading. The Growth and Prosperity Political Action Committee of Alabama Republican Spencer Bachus donated $18,000 to Fitzpatrick for Congress from 2004 through 2011, including $5,000 last March 24, according to Federal Election Commission reports.
In addition, in April 2006, Bachus for Congress gave $2,000 to Fitzpatrick for Congress. Last week, after The Washington Post reported the independent Office of Congressional Ethics investigation into possible violations of insider trading laws, Bachus insisted he did nothing wrong. “I have fully abided by the rules governing members of Congress and look forward to the full exoneration this process will provide,” he said. Bachus’ committee oversees the financial services industry, and its members would be privy to the kind of financial information that would be useful in stock trades. In 2010, when he was running against incumbent Patrick Murphy, Fitzpatrick called on the Democrat to return “$19,000 of potentially tainted campaign donations” Murphy had received from Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, who was being investigated by the House Committee on Standards and Official Conduct. Rangel was convicted for offenses ranging from accepting a rent-stabilized apartment from a Manhattan developer to failing to pay taxes on rental income from his Dominican villa to raising charitable donations from companies and corporate executives who had business before the committee he led. On Monday, Fitzpatrick said the Bachus and Rangel cases are dissimilar. “Charlie Rangel admitted to wrongdoing and ultimately was censured by the ethics committee,” Fitzpatrick said. “Mr. Bachus, on the other hand, has denied any wrongdoing and has moved to fully cooperate with the Office of Congressional Ethics. There’s a real difference there. And I will follow the matter closely.” Both houses of Congress last week passed bills that would explicitly bar members of Congress and thousands of executive branch officials from insider trading — using nonpublic information learned during official duties. In pushing the benefits of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, Fitzpatrick said, “My goal with this legislation is to restore the idea that serving in Congress is a privilege and should be a sacrifice — not a springboard to personal wealth.” The House bill, in a 417-2 vote, brushed aside a provision aimed at reining in those who pry financial information from Congress and sell it to investment firms. The language in dispute would require so-called political intelligence firms to register just as lobbyists do, and file public reports on their spending and contacts with federal officials. Portions of the financial industry lobbied for removal of the proposal. The harshest criticism came from a Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, whose amendment to regulate these firms won by 60-39. “It’s astonishing and extremely disappointing that the House would fulfill Wall Street’s wishes by killing this provision,” Grassley said. “The Senate clearly voted to try to shed light on an industry that’s behind the scenes. “If the Senate language is too broad, as opponents say, why not propose a solution instead of scrapping the provision all together,” he said. “I hope to see a vehicle for meaningful transparency through a House-Senate conference or other means. If Congress delays action, the political intelligence industry will stay in the shadows, just the way Wall Street likes it.”
"They answer to an infallible man in a white dress. There's no problem here citizens. You are infringing on freedom of religion. Leave now before you are placed under arrest."
How dare you impugn the integrity of the oldest con-game still running. The invisible sky wizard will strike you down for your insolence, and his pedophiliac minions will damn you to eternal flames for your heresy.
Love [luhv] noun 1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. 2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend. 3. sexual passion or desire. 4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart. 5. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
verb (used with object) 15. to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her. 16. to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person). 17. to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music. 18. to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight. 19. to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.
verb (used without object) 21. to have love or affection for another person; be in love. Verb phrase 22. love up, to hug and cuddle: She loves him up every chance she gets.
Idioms 23. for love, a. out of affection or liking; for pleasure. b. without compensation; gratuitously: He took care of the poor for love. 24. for the love of, in consideration of; for the sake of: For the love of mercy, stop that noise. 25. in love, infused with or feeling deep affection or passion: a youth always in love. 26. in love with, feeling deep affection or passion for (a person, idea, occupation, etc.); enamored of: in love with the girl next door; in love with one's work. 27. make love, a. to embrace and kiss as lovers. b. to engage in sexual activity.
Oh what's love got to do, got to do with it What's love but a second hand emotion What's love got to do, got to do with it Who needs a heart When a heart can be broken
Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come: Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress when she walks treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.
From today's BCCT. Looks like the decision on Holy Trinity, Conwell-Egan, etc. was postponed from tomorrow to Friday (2/17).
Catholics will wait longer to hear appeal results Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 5:21 pm | Updated: 7:00 pm, Tue Feb 14, 2012.
Catholics will wait longer to hear appeal results By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Staff writer Calkins Media, Inc. | 0 comments
Every time the Rev. Father John Eckert hears the phone ring, he hopes it's the Archdiocese of Philadelphia calling to give him the final word on the future of Holy Trinity School in Morrisville.
"We haven't heard anything yet," he said Tuesday. "Every phone call, we think it's it."
The region's Catholic community will have to wait until Friday to hear the archdiocese's final decision on school appeals, which were filed soon after a blue ribbon commission recommended in January that 48 schools in the five-county archdiocese restructure -- including closures and mergers -- because of low enrollment and financial constraints.
The archdiocese was supposed to make the announcement Wednesday, but "things had to be pushed back a few days due to Cardinal (Anthony) Bevilacqua's funeral," Kenneth Gavin, spokesman for the archdiocese, said Tuesday. Bevilacqua died Jan. 31.
The archdiocese isn't releasing the total number of schools that filed appeals, but in Bucks County, nearly all are going through the process.
Ten elementary schools are recommended for closure and mergers. Closure is recommended for Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, which is appealing.
Under the commission's report, all the elementary schools are supposed to close in June, merge with at least one other closed school and open under a new school name for the 2012-13 school year.
The commission is calling for St. Michael the Archangel in Tullytown to close and merge with Our Lady of Grace in Penndel. St. Mark School would close its doors and combine with St. Ephrem in Bensalem. Holy Trinity would shut its school and consolidate with St. John the Evangelist in Lower Makefield. All these schools are going through the appeal process.
Assumption BMV in Lower Southampton is the only elementary school in Lower Bucks on the closure/merger list that didn't file an appeal, so come the new school year, it will merge with St. Bede the Venerable in Holland.
In Upper Bucks, St. John the Baptist in Ottsville would close, as well as St. Phillip Neri in East Greenville in Montgomery County. Those two would then merge with St. Isidore in Quakertown. All three are appealing.
The Rev. Dennis Mooney, St. Mark's pastor, said Tuesday he hadn't heard from the archdiocese either.
"I'm guessing we'll hear from them in the next day or two," he said.
This castle is their home: McMansion turned rectory
Posted: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 6:00 am | Updated: 5:35 pm, Tue Feb 14, 2012. 2 comments We know that not all orders of Catholic priests take a vow of poverty. Still, the nearly million dollars — $955,000, to be exact — that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia paid for a home in Buckingham must be hard for some Catholics to swallow. That expenditure was to house two priests from the nearby Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. With a total of 3,686 square feet, the McMansion-turned-rectory boasts five bedrooms, three fireplaces, a three-car garage, hardwood floors, a blue stone terrace — and room for an au pair, according to a real estate listing. Nice accommodations ... if you can afford it.
What’s surprising is that the archdiocese would spend so lavishly in 2009 to provide housing for just two priests, and now is preparing to shutter dozens of schools — a controversial decision that has created much heartache and angst for thousands of students and their families. Indeed, if their appeals are rejected, four Catholic schools in Lower Bucks will shut their doors for good in June, including Conwell-Egan High School. A product of Catholic schools and a former member of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Christine Ochadlick said she was so disturbed by the purchase that she left the church. “It’s appalling to think they’re spending all this money on the rectory and yet people in the Philadelphia area cannot afford to send their children to a Catholic school because the tuition is so high,” said Ochadlick, who was interviewed for Sunday’s story about the archdiocese’s sizable property holdings in Bucks County. In fact, the McMansion was only one of four Bucks County properties the archdiocese bought in the last four years. In defense of the decision, the parish website asserts that it was more “cost-efficient” to buy the home than build a new rectory. Maybe so. Although we suspect that would depend on the size of the rectory. But even if priests at Our Lady of Guadalupe have not taken a vow of poverty, is it appropriate for their home to be a virtual castle — considering the pending school closures and the financial constraints driving those closings? Regardless of the answer — and the archdiocese owes Catholics an answer — the issue is of public interest because many of the students now attending schools targeted for closure will land in the public schools. And that’s an issue for every taxpayer because the enrollment spike, regardless of size, will add to taxpayers’ burden. Nobody’s complaining about that. We all know it takes a village. And Catholic school kids whose parents enroll them in the public schools will be embraced. We know they’d like to continue their religious education and that they and their parents are heartbroken. We sympathize. Perhaps they can take some comfort in the recent words of the archdiocese’s newly appointed archbishop, Charles Chaput. “We have a moral duty to use our resources wisely, not just in education, but in every aspect of our life as a believing community. If we haven’t always done that in the past,” the archbishop vowed, “then we need to start now.” Amen.
Or better yet, treat the priests like regular employees. Pay them a salary, and require them to provide their own housing and sustenance from that salary like the rest of us. Clinging to outmoded, archaic means of thinking and operating is part of the reason the church is in such shape, although I think the bigger reason is that it is a foully corrupt, decadent, and dehumanizing institution of repression and control. It claims to be God's representative here on Earth, but if their actions over their shameful 2,000 year history are any indication, I don't want their god.
Haven't they already organized? Into covering up for each other's transgressions?
"The Church reaffirming celibacy — it's kind of like Clinton reaffirming monogamy." —Jay Leno
"Bush said we're going after white-collar criminals and I'm thinking 'Gee I wish the Catholic church would do that.'" —David Letterman
One Sunday, a priest asked one of the church janitor if he would cover his Confession shift for him -- he said it was easy, since he had a sin list inside the booth which listed both sins and penance. The janitor agreed and took the booth early on Sunday morning. Soon people showed up.
"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have committed adultery."
"Adultery, eh?" the janitor said. "You sly devil. That'll be three Hail Mary's, plus five bucks."
"Thank you, Father."
Another person came into the booth. "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have embezzled money from work."
"Embezzlement, eh? Naughty, naughty. That'll be 5 Hail Mary's, plus fourteen bucks.""Thank you, Father." This was easy, the janitor thought. Another person came into the booth.
"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have committed the sin of oral sex.""Oral sex, huh?" He looked at the list, but didn't see oral sex there. So, he excused himself to look for help. He found an alter boy hanging out on the steps of the church.
"Excuse me," the janitor said. "What does Father Matthew give for oral sex?"
"Well," said the boy, "usually just milk and cookies, but sometimes a Snickers."
I didn't get a toy train like the other kids. I got a toy subway instead. You couldn't see anything, but every now and then you'd hear this rumbling noise go by.
At least three of the 21 Catholic elementary schools that had appealed recommendations to close will remain open. Holy Trinity Catholic elementary school in Morrisville, St. Mark in Bristol and St. Laurentius school in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood said they won their appeals to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to stay open.
The Rev. Francis A. Gwiazda, pastor of St. Laurentius, said he received a phone call around 12:30 p.m. today informing him that his school had been spared.
The school and parish community, he said, will hold a special prayer service this evening at 7 p.m. to give thanks that their prayers had been answered.
Holy Trinity posted the announcement of its decision on its website this morning. It said that the school's appeal of a blue-ribbon commission's recommendation that it close in June and merge with another school had been granted. Holy Trinity's parish school will continue in the fall.
And the church bells at St. Mark started ringing this morning, and parents were celebrating the good news on the school's Facebook page: "St. Mark Loves Father Mooney and Supports Him 110%."
Parents and parishioners of nearby St. Ephrem in Bristol were jubilant, as well. Their school had been slated to join with St. Mark to form a regional school.
"Rejoice!!! Our appeal was accepted," read the e-mail the St. Ephrem School circulated to the school community late this morning. "There will not be a merger between St. Ephrem and St. Mark schools. St. Ephrem School will continue as a parish school.
In all, at least 21 parish schools and three high schools had appealed the commission's recommendations for closure. Although pastors and school officials were being informed of the appeals status Thursday, the archdiocese was not expected to announce Archbishop Charles J. Chaput's appeal decisions until Friday.
31st Legislative District Two Republicans face off for chance to take on Santarsiero
31st legislative district Santarsiero represents Lower Makefield, Newtown, Newtown Township, Yardley and part of Upper Makefield. Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 6:32 am, Fri Feb 17, 2012. By Joan Hellyer Staff Writer | 1 comment Two Lower Makefield Republicans will battle it out in the April primary for the chance to face state Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-31, in the November election. Helen Bosley, owner and operator of a financial consulting firm, secured the endorsement of Bucks County Republicans in her bid to win the seat Santarsiero has held since early 2009.
Bosley, 64, said she jumped into the race when a proposed redistricting of state House seats was rejected. The redistricting was supposed to include Morrisville in the district, officials said. Had that been the case, the GOP would have endorsed former Morrisville school board President Bill Hellman, Bosley said. But that didn’t happen and party bosses threw their support behind Bosley. If elected, she said the state’s financial well-being is at the top of her list of concerns. “We need to get smart in terms of our fiscal health,” Bosley said. Her opponent shares the concern for financial responsibility but says she is the best candidate to go up against Santarsiero. “I am very conservative,” said GOP candidate Anne Chapman. “They should choose me. I am committed to do the job.” Chapman, 66, works in healthcare marketing. Both she and Bosley have served as committeewomen for the local Republican party. Santarsiero declined Thursday night to discuss either of the GOP candidates. He plans to officially unveil his campaign in March.
So Hellmann was good enough to be Republican endorsed in a redistricted 31st but not for the same old 140th, where in Jon's older post it says some Eric David guy got the endorsement instead?
What gives?
Don't get me wrong. I want Hellmann to get GOP endorsements. I can imagine he is a Democrat's dream. From some of the grousing in the commentary on these articles, that Bosley lady must also be pretty dreamy to Democrats.
45 comments:
Watch and weep. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHtDF-z77wk&feature=player_embedded
Sad. Very sad. Sadder still that previous generations' versions of this came to run Morrisville school district and boro council for so long. Many other places too. Glad some of them are out of office for a while if not permanently. New crops of ignorant reinforcements are clearly at the ready, though..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUPMjC9mq5Y
This is under the current districting, which means all of Morrisville is in the 140th PA House district, right? Anyway, Bill Hellmann, C.P.A. didn't get the Republican Party endorsement for the 140th district race. Does anyone know anything about Eric David, who got the GOP endorsement Hellmann, C.P.A. allegedly coveted? The 140th district seat is currently held by Democrat John Galloway. I wonder if Hellmann, C.P.A. will forge on in the GOP primary despite the County GOP Powers That Be not giving him the nod? I never used to care about this stuff until I moved to Morrisville. Thanks?
Bucks Republicans endorse candidates
Posted: Sunday, February 12, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 5:56 am, Sun Feb 12, 2012.
By Gary Weckselblatt Staff Writer | 11 comments
While most counties in Pennsylvania get three delegates to send to the Republican Convention, Bucks County will get a fourth this year — and no one can remember the last time that happened.
Pat Poprik, vice chairwoman of the Bucks GOP and a committeewoman since 1977, doesn't believe it has happened during her time with the party.
She said the state uses a formula based on results from the 2008 presidential election and the 2010 gubernatorial and congressional results to give out five bonus delegates.
"This is a credit to our committee people," Poprik said Friday. "It's a result of the hard work they've done."
On Thursday night, county Republicans made their 2012 endorsements.
For delegates from the 8th Congressional District, they chose Bensalem Mayor Joe DiGirolamo, county Commissioner Rob Loughery, state Rep. Bernie O'Neill and Poprik. Four alternates were also chosen: Larry Borda of Lower Makefield, Margo Hunt of New Britain Township, Jennifer Yori of Lower Southampton and Tom Zipfel of Hatfield Township.
The committee also endorsed Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick and, for state representative, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, 18; O'Neill, 29; Helen Bosley, 31; Eric David, 140; Anthony Sposapo, 141; Rep. Frank Farry, 142; Rep. Marguerite Quinn, 143; Rep. Kathy Watson, 144; Rep. Paul Clymer, 145; and Rep. Scott Petri, 178.
Skills that pay the bills
Monday, February 13, 2012
By DANNY ADLER Staff writer | 0 comments
Technical school students in Bucks County racked up 121 medals, including 45 gold, in the SkillsUSA district competitions among other tech school students this year.
Nineteen students from Upper Bucks County Technical School in Bedminster finished in first place in the District 11 competition, held Feb. 1 at the Agri~Plex in Allentown, Lehigh County.
Sixteen students from Bucks County Technical School in Bristol Township nabbed gold medals in the District 2 competition held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Limerick, Montgomery County.
Eleven students at Warwick’s Middle Bucks Institute of Technology won 10 gold medals in the District 2 competition.
BCTHS and MBIT students were among roughly 400 students from Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware counties in 56 competitions showcasing the skills they’ve mastered through their technical programs — from cake decorating, carpentry and cosmetology to firefighting, crime scene investigations and electronics technology.
UBCTS students were among 450-plus technical and career school students in Upper Bucks, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton counties facing off in 54 competitions.
The gold medal winners will represent their districts at the SkillsUSA Pennsylvania State Competition from April 18 to 20 at the Hershey Lodge & Conference Center in Hershey, Dauphin County. State gold winners advance to the National SkillsUSA competition in Kansas City, Mo., in June.
BCTHS came home with 44 medals total; UBCTS with 41; and MBIT with 36.
“It’s like our football team,” said Craig Meyers, a BCTHS teacher and SkillsUSA adviser. “I always promote it as our sports program. We don’t have a sports program here, so this is it.”
Instead of quarterbacks and running backs, this team contains culinary arts and welding students.
Jessica Copeland, a 17-year-old senior studying marketing management, won the silver medal in the customer service competition. The competition put her in a situation where one has to “sink or swim,” she said.
“I’ve been able to meet new people from all over. I’ve been able to have more confidence in the way that I approach people and the way I talk to them and relate to people” as a result of SkillsUSA, she said.
Stephen Markee, a 17-year-old BCTHS senior who is president of SkillsUSA Pennsylvania, said a lot of students see the benefits that come from the competition. “Over the last four years it has really accelerated,” he said.
Teachers and SkillsUSA advisers say the competition is a resume booster and also helps students receive scholarships.
In the District 11 championship, 16-year-old Upper Bucks County Technical School junior Darian Botson took first place in the Nurse Aid Assistant competition.
“I learned to remain calm and to time myself as I worked with the patients,” Botson said. “I learned to communicate and to interact with the patients. These are important skills in the workplace.
“I will be taking the Certified Nursing Assistant certification through the American Red Cross in April. The competition has helped me to be ready for the certification process and future employment,” Botson said.
Sixteen-year-old MBIT junior Amanda Peterson captured first place in the extemporaneous speaking competition, during which she was given a topic and five minutes to prepare a 3- to 5-minute speech.
“Working under pressure is a difficult skill to obtain, but is well worth the effort. This competition helped me to grow in numerous ways. It has helped me become an individual as well as a more effective public speaker. Through SkillsUSA, I feel like my soft skills have become more developed than some of my peers. The opportunity to be involved with SkillsUSA gives me an advantage to better prepare myself for the future,” Peterson said
Anyone see this and see red?
A lifelong Catholic, Christine Ochadlick said she has been driven from her house of worship by the purchase of a house for two of its priests.
In 2009, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia paid $955,000 for a home in Buckingham Township, according to the Bucks County Board of Assessment.
The 3,686-square-foot residence on Ash Mill Road sports five spacious bedrooms, three fireplaces, a three-car garage, gleaming hardwood floors, a private blue stone terrace and room for an au pair, according to a real estate advertisement posted online before the sale.
The residence is being used as a rectory, according to a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s pastoral council. Buying the home was more “cost efficient” than constructing a new building on church property, according to the parish website.
Ochadlick called it “appalling” at a time when the archdiocese is closing schools.....
Yes and yes. If a public school district did this, people would be ballistic and bloodthirsty for vengeance.
They answer to an infallible man in a white dress. There's no problem here citizens. You are infringing on freedom of religion. Leave now before you are placed under arrest.
I didn't know Hellmann, CPA wore a white dress? Oh, you meant the ...never mind!
Morrisville police looking for man in armed attempted robbery
Posted: Monday, February 13, 2012 5:21 pm | Updated: 6:25 pm, Mon Feb 13, 2012.
By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 0 comments
MORRISVILLE -- Morrisville police are looking for a man who stopped a woman for directions, then pulled a knife and demanded money.
The incident occurred as the woman was entering her home in the 500 block of Woodland Avenue about 9 p.m. Feb. 7, police said.
The suspect asked the woman for directions, then put a knife to her throat and demanded money. He ran away toward Bridge Street when the woman screamed and neighbors appeared, police said. Police described the man as tall and thin, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and dark pants.
that's scary. That's close to my house.
House chair under fire a big donor to Fitzpatrick
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 5:00 am | Updated: 6:50 am, Tue Feb 14, 2012.
By Gary Weckselblatt Staff Writer | 3 comments
Eighth District Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick has taken $20,000 in campaign contributions from the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, who’s under investigation for insider trading.
The Growth and Prosperity Political Action Committee of Alabama Republican Spencer Bachus donated $18,000 to Fitzpatrick for Congress from 2004 through 2011, including $5,000 last March 24, according to Federal Election Commission reports.
In addition, in April 2006, Bachus for Congress gave $2,000 to Fitzpatrick for Congress.
Last week, after The Washington Post reported the independent Office of Congressional Ethics investigation into possible violations of insider trading laws, Bachus insisted he did nothing wrong.
“I have fully abided by the rules governing members of Congress and look forward to the full exoneration this process will provide,” he said.
Bachus’ committee oversees the financial services industry, and its members would be privy to the kind of financial information that would be useful in stock trades.
In 2010, when he was running against incumbent Patrick Murphy, Fitzpatrick called on the Democrat to return “$19,000 of potentially tainted campaign donations” Murphy had received from Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, who was being investigated by the House Committee on Standards and Official Conduct.
Rangel was convicted for offenses ranging from accepting a rent-stabilized apartment from a Manhattan developer to failing to pay taxes on rental income from his Dominican villa to raising charitable donations from companies and corporate executives who had business before the committee he led.
On Monday, Fitzpatrick said the Bachus and Rangel cases are dissimilar.
“Charlie Rangel admitted to wrongdoing and ultimately was censured by the ethics committee,” Fitzpatrick said. “Mr. Bachus, on the other hand, has denied any wrongdoing and has moved to fully cooperate with the Office of Congressional Ethics. There’s a real difference there. And I will follow the matter closely.”
Both houses of Congress last week passed bills that would explicitly bar members of Congress and thousands of executive branch officials from insider trading — using nonpublic information learned during official duties.
In pushing the benefits of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, Fitzpatrick said, “My goal with this legislation is to restore the idea that serving in Congress is a privilege and should be a sacrifice — not a springboard to personal wealth.”
The House bill, in a 417-2 vote, brushed aside a provision aimed at reining in those who pry financial information from Congress and sell it to investment firms.
The language in dispute would require so-called political intelligence firms to register just as lobbyists do, and file public reports on their spending and contacts with federal officials. Portions of the financial industry lobbied for removal of the proposal.
The harshest criticism came from a Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, whose amendment to regulate these firms won by 60-39.
“It’s astonishing and extremely disappointing that the House would fulfill Wall Street’s wishes by killing this provision,” Grassley said. “The Senate clearly voted to try to shed light on an industry that’s behind the scenes.
“If the Senate language is too broad, as opponents say, why not propose a solution instead of scrapping the provision all together,” he said. “I hope to see a vehicle for meaningful transparency through a House-Senate conference or other means. If Congress delays action, the political intelligence industry will stay in the shadows, just the way Wall Street likes it.”
Whoa!!! Will there be a Town Hall on this?!?
"They answer to an infallible man in a white dress. There's no problem here citizens. You are infringing on freedom of religion. Leave now before you are placed under arrest."
How dare you impugn the integrity of the oldest con-game still running. The invisible sky wizard will strike you down for your insolence, and his pedophiliac minions will damn you to eternal flames for your heresy.
2 priests in a million dollar home. Sounds 'fabulous'.
Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!
I know I can feel the love!
Jon, Love has so many meanings:
Love
[luhv]
noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
3. sexual passion or desire.
4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.
5. (used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like): Would you like to see a movie, love?
verb (used with object)
15. to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.
16. to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).
17. to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.
18. to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.
19. to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.
verb (used without object)
21. to have love or affection for another person; be in love.
Verb phrase
22. love up, to hug and cuddle: She loves him up every chance she gets.
Idioms
23. for love,
a. out of affection or liking; for pleasure.
b. without compensation; gratuitously: He took care of the poor for love.
24. for the love of, in consideration of; for the sake of: For the love of mercy, stop that noise.
25. in love, infused with or feeling deep affection or passion: a youth always in love.
26. in love with, feeling deep affection or passion for (a person, idea, occupation, etc.); enamored of: in love with the girl next door; in love with one's work.
27. make love,
a. to embrace and kiss as lovers.
b. to engage in sexual activity.
Oh what's love got to do, got to do with it
What's love but a second hand emotion
What's love got to do, got to do with it
Who needs a heart
When a heart can be broken
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
That's what I'm talkin' about, with a little Barry White Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love's Theme" piping in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPHmsEoLsL0
From today's BCCT. Looks like the decision on Holy Trinity, Conwell-Egan, etc. was postponed from tomorrow to Friday (2/17).
Catholics will wait longer to hear appeal results
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 5:21 pm | Updated: 7:00 pm, Tue Feb 14, 2012.
Catholics will wait longer to hear appeal results By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Staff writer Calkins Media, Inc. | 0 comments
Every time the Rev. Father John Eckert hears the phone ring, he hopes it's the Archdiocese of Philadelphia calling to give him the final word on the future of Holy Trinity School in Morrisville.
"We haven't heard anything yet," he said Tuesday. "Every phone call, we think it's it."
The region's Catholic community will have to wait until Friday to hear the archdiocese's final decision on school appeals, which were filed soon after a blue ribbon commission recommended in January that 48 schools in the five-county archdiocese restructure -- including closures and mergers -- because of low enrollment and financial constraints.
The archdiocese was supposed to make the announcement Wednesday, but "things had to be pushed back a few days due to Cardinal (Anthony) Bevilacqua's funeral," Kenneth Gavin, spokesman for the archdiocese, said Tuesday. Bevilacqua died Jan. 31.
The archdiocese isn't releasing the total number of schools that filed appeals, but in Bucks County, nearly all are going through the process.
Ten elementary schools are recommended for closure and mergers. Closure is recommended for Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, which is appealing.
Under the commission's report, all the elementary schools are supposed to close in June, merge with at least one other closed school and open under a new school name for the 2012-13 school year.
The commission is calling for St. Michael the Archangel in Tullytown to close and merge with Our Lady of Grace in Penndel. St. Mark School would close its doors and combine with St. Ephrem in Bensalem. Holy Trinity would shut its school and consolidate with St. John the Evangelist in Lower Makefield. All these schools are going through the appeal process.
Assumption BMV in Lower Southampton is the only elementary school in Lower Bucks on the closure/merger list that didn't file an appeal, so come the new school year, it will merge with St. Bede the Venerable in Holland.
In Upper Bucks, St. John the Baptist in Ottsville would close, as well as St. Phillip Neri in East Greenville in Montgomery County. Those two would then merge with St. Isidore in Quakertown. All three are appealing.
The Rev. Dennis Mooney, St. Mark's pastor, said Tuesday he hadn't heard from the archdiocese either.
"I'm guessing we'll hear from them in the next day or two," he said.
I'm told that prayer works.
This castle is their home: McMansion turned rectory
Posted: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 6:00 am | Updated: 5:35 pm, Tue Feb 14, 2012.
2 comments
We know that not all orders of Catholic priests take a vow of poverty. Still, the nearly million dollars — $955,000, to be exact — that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia paid for a home in Buckingham must be hard for some Catholics to swallow.
That expenditure was to house two priests from the nearby Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. With a total of 3,686 square feet, the McMansion-turned-rectory boasts five bedrooms, three fireplaces, a three-car garage, hardwood floors, a blue stone terrace — and room for an au pair, according to a real estate listing. Nice accommodations ... if you can afford it.
What’s surprising is that the archdiocese would spend so lavishly in 2009 to provide housing for just two priests, and now is preparing to shutter dozens of schools — a controversial decision that has created much heartache and angst for thousands of students and their families. Indeed, if their appeals are rejected, four Catholic schools in Lower Bucks will shut their doors for good in June, including Conwell-Egan High School.
A product of Catholic schools and a former member of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Christine Ochadlick said she was so disturbed by the purchase that she left the church. “It’s appalling to think they’re spending all this money on the rectory and yet people in the Philadelphia area cannot afford to send their children to a Catholic school because the tuition is so high,” said Ochadlick, who was interviewed for Sunday’s story about the archdiocese’s sizable property holdings in Bucks County. In fact, the McMansion was only one of four Bucks County properties the archdiocese bought in the last four years.
In defense of the decision, the parish website asserts that it was more “cost-efficient” to buy the home than build a new rectory.
Maybe so. Although we suspect that would depend on the size of the rectory. But even if priests at Our Lady of Guadalupe have not taken a vow of poverty, is it appropriate for their home to be a virtual castle — considering the pending school closures and the financial constraints driving those closings?
Regardless of the answer — and the archdiocese owes Catholics an answer — the issue is of public interest because many of the students now attending schools targeted for closure will land in the public schools. And that’s an issue for every taxpayer because the enrollment spike, regardless of size, will add to taxpayers’ burden.
Nobody’s complaining about that. We all know it takes a village. And Catholic school kids whose parents enroll them in the public schools will be embraced. We know they’d like to continue their religious education and that they and their parents are heartbroken. We sympathize. Perhaps they can take some comfort in the recent words of the archdiocese’s newly appointed archbishop, Charles Chaput.
“We have a moral duty to use our resources wisely, not just in education, but in every aspect of our life as a believing community. If we haven’t always done that in the past,” the archbishop vowed, “then we need to start now.”
Amen.
YOU CAN NOT PETITION THE LORD WITH PRAYER!!!!
Did someone suggest this when you were in Seminary school?
Yeah, someone put forth that proposition.
Welcome to the Soft Parade, which, ironically, contains the song Touch Me.
Sell the luxury homes and turn all of the closed schools into priest barracks!
Or better yet, treat the priests like regular employees. Pay them a salary, and require them to provide their own housing and sustenance from that salary like the rest of us. Clinging to outmoded, archaic means of thinking and operating is part of the reason the church is in such shape, although I think the bigger reason is that it is a foully corrupt, decadent, and dehumanizing institution of repression and control. It claims to be God's representative here on Earth, but if their actions over their shameful 2,000 year history are any indication, I don't want their god.
I'm not Catholic. It is up to the Catholic Church to reform.
The Catholic Church apologized in 1992 for what it did to Galileo. Galileo died in 1642.
This does not inspire great confidence in a speedy reform effort.
Treat priests like employees and the next thing they'll want to do, God forbid, is organize, which would automatically make them filthy union thugs.
I.B.E.W (International Brotherhood of Ecumenical Workers)?
Haven't they already organized? Into covering up for each other's transgressions?
"The Church reaffirming celibacy — it's kind of like Clinton reaffirming monogamy." —Jay Leno
"Bush said we're going after white-collar criminals and I'm thinking 'Gee I wish the Catholic church would do that.'" —David Letterman
One Sunday, a priest asked one of the church janitor if he would cover his Confession shift for him -- he said it was easy, since he had a sin list inside the booth which listed both sins and penance. The janitor agreed and took the booth early on Sunday morning. Soon people showed up.
"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have committed adultery."
"Adultery, eh?" the janitor said. "You sly devil. That'll be three Hail Mary's, plus five bucks."
"Thank you, Father."
Another person came into the booth. "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have embezzled money from work."
"Embezzlement, eh? Naughty, naughty. That'll be 5 Hail Mary's, plus fourteen bucks.""Thank you, Father." This was easy, the janitor thought. Another person came into the booth.
"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I have committed the sin of oral sex.""Oral sex, huh?" He looked at the list, but didn't see oral sex there. So, he excused himself to look for help. He found an alter boy hanging out on the steps of the church.
"Excuse me," the janitor said. "What does Father Matthew give for oral sex?"
"Well," said the boy, "usually just milk and cookies, but sometimes a Snickers."
Oh! How about some positive news? I couldn't make the Board Agenda Meeting last night. Any news of note there?
Positive news huh?
Penicillin can take care of that.
The EPT has only one line.
You're not going to pay a lot for this muffler?
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
I used to have an open mind but my brains kept falling out.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
I still have my Christmas Tree. I looked at it today. Sure enough, I couldn't see any forests.
I didn't get a toy train like the other kids. I got a toy subway instead. You
couldn't see anything, but every now and then you'd hear this rumbling noise go
by.
BIG NEWS for Holy Trinity and the Ville:
At least three of the 21 Catholic elementary schools that had appealed recommendations to close will remain open.
Holy Trinity Catholic elementary school in Morrisville, St. Mark in Bristol and St. Laurentius school in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood said they won their appeals to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to stay open.
The Rev. Francis A. Gwiazda, pastor of St. Laurentius, said he received a phone call around 12:30 p.m. today informing him that his school had been spared.
The school and parish community, he said, will hold a special prayer service this evening at 7 p.m. to give thanks that their prayers had been answered.
Holy Trinity posted the announcement of its decision on its website this morning. It said that the school's appeal of a blue-ribbon commission's recommendation that it close in June and merge with another school had been granted. Holy Trinity's parish school will continue in the fall.
And the church bells at St. Mark started ringing this morning, and parents were celebrating the good news on the school's Facebook page: "St. Mark Loves Father Mooney and Supports Him 110%."
Parents and parishioners of nearby St. Ephrem in Bristol were jubilant, as well. Their school had been slated to join with St. Mark to form a regional school.
"Rejoice!!! Our appeal was accepted," read the e-mail the St. Ephrem School circulated to the school community late this morning. "There will not be a merger between St. Ephrem and St. Mark schools. St. Ephrem School will continue as a parish school.
In all, at least 21 parish schools and three high schools had appealed the commission's recommendations for closure. Although pastors and school officials were being informed of the appeals status Thursday, the archdiocese was not expected to announce Archbishop Charles J. Chaput's appeal decisions until Friday.
31st Legislative District
Two Republicans face off for chance to take on Santarsiero
31st legislative district
Santarsiero represents Lower Makefield, Newtown, Newtown Township, Yardley and part of Upper Makefield.
Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 6:32 am, Fri Feb 17, 2012.
By Joan Hellyer Staff Writer | 1 comment
Two Lower Makefield Republicans will battle it out in the April primary for the chance to face state Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-31, in the November election.
Helen Bosley, owner and operator of a financial consulting firm, secured the endorsement of Bucks County Republicans in her bid to win the seat Santarsiero has held since early 2009.
Bosley, 64, said she jumped into the race when a proposed redistricting of state House seats was rejected. The redistricting was supposed to include Morrisville in the district, officials said.
Had that been the case, the GOP would have endorsed former Morrisville school board President Bill Hellman, Bosley said.
But that didn’t happen and party bosses threw their support behind Bosley. If elected, she said the state’s financial well-being is at the top of her list of concerns.
“We need to get smart in terms of our fiscal health,” Bosley said.
Her opponent shares the concern for financial responsibility but says she is the best candidate to go up against Santarsiero.
“I am very conservative,” said GOP candidate Anne Chapman. “They should choose me. I am committed to do the job.”
Chapman, 66, works in healthcare marketing.
Both she and Bosley have served as committeewomen for the local Republican party.
Santarsiero declined Thursday night to discuss either of the GOP candidates. He plans to officially unveil his campaign in March.
So Hellmann was good enough to be Republican endorsed in a redistricted 31st but not for the same old 140th, where in Jon's older post it says some Eric David guy got the endorsement instead?
What gives?
Don't get me wrong. I want Hellmann to get GOP endorsements. I can imagine he is a Democrat's dream. From some of the grousing in the commentary on these articles, that Bosley lady must also be pretty dreamy to Democrats.
Eric David is the estranged son of Waste Management CEO Steve David. He was a scam artist contractor for a few years, and is now a Realtor.
There's a lot of dirt to be had on this guy. I don't know how he got the endorsement, other than running on his fathers name and hard work.
Post a Comment