Here's to the bright New Year,

and a fond farewell to the old;

Here's to the things yet to come,
and to the memories that we hold.

What is Your Biggest New Year’s Resolution?

Becky Spor Keith Atlee Billy Roberts Rodney Ridley

Trumbauersville Richlandtown Trumbauersville Quakertown

Strive to be the best wife and 1. Stay out of debt To do well in college at Penn To continue to enjoy life!
mother for my family! 2. Stay healthy State’s Main Campus
3. Stay patient in this economy Interviews and photos by Frank DiRenzo
2 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011
Upper Bucks Community Events
January 3
Free Bread of Life Dinner, doors
open 5pm, all welcome, Emmanu-
el Episcopal Church, 560 S. Main
& 9th Sts, Quakertown, Call if in
need of transportation 215-536-
3040
January 4&5
Upper Bucks Tech. School regis-
trations for adult education courses
to begin week of Jan. 31, daytime
regis. is Mon. thru Fri. 10am-
2pm, walk-in regis. Jan. 4&5 from
6-8pm, 215-795-2011
January 8
Soup Day at Dublin Fire Co,
11am-2pm, Route 313, homemade
soups, Eat in or order on Soup
Day between 11am and 1pm, 215-
246-3740. Benefits Fire Co. Aux.
January 9
All You Can Eat Breakfast Buffet,
8am-1pm at Richland Twp Fire
& Rescue, 64 Shelly Rd, Quaker-
town, Lots of good food and baked
goods, 215-536-7226
Breakfast at Upper Black Eddy
Fire Co, Firehouse Lane, 7:30am-
noon, $7, $5, under 5 is free. Ben-
efits fire company
Heating Assistance Grant
Program Now Open
Pennsylvania’s Low Income
Home Energy Assistance (LI-
HEAP) grant program is now open
for the 2010-11 heating season,
according to Senator Bob Mensch
(R-24). Grants are based on in-
come, family size, type of heating
fuel and region.
Find the Upper Bucks
January 10 January 17 Free Press!
Tracks & Traces Family Pro- Quakertown
Pennridge Women’s Business gram, 11am Nockamixon State
Network Meeting, 7pm at First Park, Hunt for animal tracks, then A-Plus Mini Market
Beer City
Savings Bk, 601 W. Market St., make one to take home with you. Cafe on the Way
No pre-registration and FREE.
Perkasie Classic Temps
More info at Education center at
Captain Bob’s Seafood
215-529-7307
Dairy Queen
January 12 Dominick’s Pizza
Soup Kitchen, 12pm-2pm, St.
Express Food Mkt (former Wawa)
Isidore School, 603 W. Broad,
Little Yoga, 5:30pm-6:15pm, Faraco’s Pizza
Quakertown
First United Church of Christ
Moon Dog Yoga, 44 Front St, Frank’s Pizza
January 18
Qtwn, ages 3-7, Info at 267-923- Giant Food Markets
5237 Giovanni’s Pizza
Quakertown Neighborhood Assn. The Grundy House
Meeting, 7 PM, Quakertown Bor- Hobo’s Bar & Grill
January 13 ough Hall. All are welcome to see James Michener Library
what we’re all about! John’s Plain & Fancy
Quakertown Family Restaurant
Pizza Sale! Orders must be in by January 21 & 26 QNB Bank
Jan. 13, delivery is Jan. 21. Thick Quaker Bakery
or thin crust, plain or pepperoni, Hide-N-Seekers Snow Spectacular, Redner’s Market
Jan. 21 at 1pm, Jan. 26 at 10am, Sal’s Pizza Randa
Richland Twp. Fire & Rescue, Hosted by Nockamixon State Park, Sine’s 5 & 10
215-536-7226 outdoor program for 3-5 year olds, Wawa
bring an adult and enjoy time out- Suelkes Roadstand
doors, crafts, stories and fun. $5 Swann’s Pantry
January 15 fee. Pre-register 215-529-7307 Upper Bucks Senior Center
Upper Bucks YMCA
January 22 Yum Yum Donuts
Quakertown Basketball Free
Throw Contest, 6pm at St. Isidore’s Sellersville
Chicken Pot-Pie Supper, 4pm-7pm
School Gym, 603 W. Broad St, at Trinity Great Swamp UCC, 9150
Qtwn , Sponsored Free by Knights Spinnerstown Rd, Spinnerstown, A & N Diner
Village Market
of Columbus, Boys & girls 10-14 $8 adults, ages 2-12 $4, under 2
free. Take-outs available, benefits
are invited to participate, prizes Church World Service “Safe Wa- Perkasie
and awards, www.kofc4649 ter Project”
Bravo’s Pizza
Giant Food Markets
Landis Food Markets
Pierce Library
Trumbauersville
“Rising fuel costs have taken a for LIHEAP to apply.”
toll on all of us, especially those Additional information, such as Fino’s La Cantina
who rely on oil to heat their specific income limits, and applica- Silver Shears
tions for LIHEAP grants are avail- Spor’s General Store
homes,” Senator Mensch said.
“This burden has been especially able online via the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania Access to Social Coopersburg
heavy on low-income families and
Services (COMPASS) Web site at
those people on fixed incomes. I Giant Food Markets
www.compass.state.pa.us. Appli-
urge everyone who may be eligible cations are available at Mensch’s The Inside Scoop
district offices, county assistance Moyer’s Copy & Printing Center
QNB Bank
offices, local utility companies
Weis Markets
and community service agencies,
such as Area Agencies on Aging
and lots of other high traffic
or community action agencies.
locations between here
Should you need assistance with
and there.
your application, please schedule
an appointment by calling Senator
Mensch’s office at 215-529-1215,
 January 2011 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 3

Palisades Senior
Named Student
of the Month
at Upper Bucks
Tech School
Charles Malseed, a senior from
Palisades, has been named the Stu-
dent of the Month for December.
Charles has been enrolled in the
Diesel Equipment Technology pro-
gram for three years.
Charles has consistently earned
the Honor Roll at Palisades High
School and First Honors at Upper
Bucks County Technical School.
He won second place in the District
11 SkillsUSA Diesel Technology
competition his junior year and at-
tended the SkillsUSA Professional
Development Leadership Confer-
ence in Fall 2009.
Since the summer of 2010,
Charles has held a Cooperative Ed-
ucation Diesel Mechanic position
at JBS Carriers, Souderton, PA.
His mentor, Keith Fratrik states,
“Charles is a conscientious and
knowledgeable worker.”
After graduation, Charles plans
to attend college and own his own
business.

Reading, Writing, and Digital Citizenship

By Michele Buono ber-surfing. Beginning with basic Internet technology seems to de- issued computers. These will help
safety and good “netiquette” in the velop at such an astounding pace facilitate a transformation in how
Last month, we reported on the
first grade, children are taught per- today that it is sometimes hard to
new partnership that has emerged and when students can access their
sonal safety and appropriate online keep apace of all the new innova-
concerning Internet Safety and lessons.
the community. The Quakertown behavior throughout their school tions. QCSD is giving its students
Students are expected to use their
Community School District part- careers. the basic know-how to use the In-
nered with other local civic orga- The more things change it seems ternet as, not only an educational netbooks in a responsible manner.
nizations to alert the community the more they stay the same. Pass- tool, but also an increasingly es- They and their parents are required
to Internet security issues. Semi- ing notes used to be how kids com- sential part of everyday life. Be-
to sign the school district’s Ac-
nars were held at the Quakertown municated privately with each oth- ginning last year, all incoming
ceptable Use of the Internet and
Branch of the Bucks County Free er; today it’s texting. Diaries and freshman (9th grade) were given
Library. journals have been replaced with a netbook computer to assist them District Computer System Policy.
The Quakertown Community blogs. Avatars are the new “paper in the schoolwork. Students take This policy outlines the students’
School District wants to be sure dolls”. The big change with all this these computers home with them responsibilities regarding their
its students learn the rules of good new online behavior is the public and will continue to use them
school-issued Netbooks and the
“digital citizenship”. Students are nature of it. Kids need to learn ac- throughout high school. Eventu-
given regular instruction through- ceptable parameters and govern ally all QCSD students will have consequences of breaking those
out their school careers in safe cy- their online behavior. access to the Internet via school- rules.
4 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011
New Developments in
Hearing Technology
Entering my 24th year of private
practice, no time is better than the
present to see and utilize the latest
in technological advances for hear-
ing aids.
Presently, we are enjoying the
twelfth generation in digital prod-
uct with no end in sight. The new-
est premium class hearing systems
provide ultimate performance,
learning volume control, personal
acclimatization, various environ-
mental settings, and wind noise
reduction. The new devices are all
about providing highly adaptive
hearing systems that can cope with
all the situations that make up your
life. Furthermore, the benefits in-
clude:
• Situation-sensitive hearing with
auto-steered directionality
• Up to four personal programs to
ensure superior hearing in various
listening situations
• Learning volume control that
keeps track of the typical changes
the wearer makes, then starts mak-
ing them automatically
• Acclimatization manager allows
the hearing aid to catalog and cre-
ate special programs based on the
listening environment
• Having the ability for ultra-pre-
cise adjustment of the system to
meet the wearer’s needs
The automatic output features
adjust the volume of the hearing
system when venturing from one
place to another, like leaving a
noisy restaurant for the quiet of the
car. The device can ‘teach’ your
hearing system to respond to an in-
dividual’s volume requirements. In
addition, the hearing system gradu-
ally increases the degree of am-
plification over time to suit a par-
ticular wearer’s needs. These new
smart hearing aids are comfortable
to wear and ensure a more natural
sound quality, especially the per-
son’s own voice.
Not all listening situations are
the same, and increasingly com-
plex sound scenarios place high de-
mands on any hearing aid system.
The new hearing aids are especial-
ly designed to cope with the acous-
tic challenges of an active life style
with many different and constantly
changing listening situations. They
automatically adjust what a person
hears according to the situation.
The end result is a superior under-
standing in any situation.
Among the listening situations
where these devices excel are:
• On the telephone
• Speech in quiet
• Situations without speech
• Passive Music
• Live music
• Loud environments like parties
and adverse working conditions
• Office situations with direct con-
versation and noise
• Speech in constant background
noise like a car
• Speech in noisy situations like
group conversations, talking out-
doors, and traffic
• Changing situations from group
meeting to informal conversations.
In summary, if you or someone you
know has a hearing loss, the first
step is to get the hearing checked.
Should amplification be recom-
mended, with patient motivation,
success is a phone call away.
Get your hearing checked today!
Patrick Murphy, M.Ed., CCC-A, FAAA
has been in private practice since 1987
and wears binaural digital completely-
in-the-canal hearing aids.

Resolutions Schmesultions
By Kimberly Kratz
As I write, January is nearly
here, a clean slate, a new begin-
ning. Ten years ago or so, I re-
solved never to make a New Year’s
resolution again. I mean, why re-
ally? Resolution Schmesolution!
I had never made one that lasted
more than a week anyway. That
realization empowered me to forgo
the practice entirely but because it’s
a woman’s prerogative, this year --
I’m changing my mind. I’m not
throwing out my former old self in
the process; I’m not changing my
ideals. I’ll still be the same lovable
freak I’ve always been.
This year I resolve to celebrate
my actual age on my birthday. For
the last seven or eight years, I’ve
celebrated my thirty seventh birth-
day. To their credit, my family
and friends have gone along with
me and made “Happy Thirty Sev-
enth” birthday cards, cakes with
thirty seven candles, and plastered
the number “37” all around me. I
loved being thirty seven! Besides,
subtraction was never my strong
suit. I’m a writer after all, not a
mathematician and doing the math
to figure out my age was simply too
much trouble, especially after 2000
– all that borrowing and crossing
off. I think it’s time to move on.
I resolve to lose five pounds.
I’m planning on losing ten, but if
my resolution is five, I’ll feel like
a real winner when I lose the ten.
Plus the bonus is that I’ll qualify
weight-wise to do a tandem jump
skydiving. I have not yet done
the jump-out-of-a-plane thing and
it’s on my list of things to do to
help me fully conquer my fear of
heights.
Oh, sidebar! Guess what I did
just for fun right before the Christ-
mas break? I volunteered to pres-
ent a couple of Spanish culture
lessons to students at Quakertown
Community High School. When I
grow up, I plan to work as a public
speaker to advocate for social jus-
tice, so I thought, “If I can speak
to high school students, who are
collectively known for their brutal
honesty, and not walk out covered
in tomatoes, I can speak to any-
one.” I’d like to take this oppor-
January 2011 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 5
tunity to say, “Thanks!” to Mrs.
Sharp and her six Spanish classes
for their kind attention and for their
honest evaluations.
I learned things from them. The
first is that Mrs. Gontz, my Girl
Scout leader was right. “Be pre-
pared”, she always said. This ap-
plies to technology. I had some
minor technical difficulties dur-
ing two of classes where the vid-
eos stopped in buffering, played a
little and paused again. That was
frustrating, but I had an arsenal of
plenty of information so I aban-
doned the videos. This, I learned,
does not rest well with the younger
generation. The second revelation
for me was that their expectations Quakertown Neighborhood
are, in the words of Kurt Cobain,
“Here we are now. Entertain us.” Association Continues to Lend
At the end, I asked them to fill out
evaluations to help me gauge my the Community a Helping Hand
effectiveness. By Michele Buono Neighborhood Association can
The last question on the survey What happens when communi- help. Snow shoveling, yardwork,
was, “What advice would you give ty-minded people unite and just home repair… the Wish List is
that could make the presentation do what needs to be done? With
better?” I set aside all of those available for you to submit your
a definite “can-do” attitude and a
that answered, “I don’t know” or need. One of their first projects
lot of community spirit, this is the
“nothing, it was good”. And here Quakertown Neighborhood Asso- was to find a temporary home for a
are the answers they gave verba- ciation. An idea of Ali and Dave local woman’s dogs. She had found
tim: Johnson that came to light because a place to stay, but no dogs were
“Spanish food!” of their realization that people can allowed in the new place. Because
“Make it more short & sweet” and should be helping each other the Quakertown Neighborhood As-
“Have the kids more involved” instead of waiting for “someone sociation got involved, someone
“Music” else” to do it. generously donated kennel space
“Maybe more humor” The Upper Bucks area has no
“More stories, :) not facts.” for her pets and the woman would
shortage of non-profit community
(The happy face was part of the quote.) groups. With 82 non-profit groups go visit and take care of them dai-
“If it wasn’t 8 in the morning.” in the Quakertown area, all with ly. Thankfully, she has since found
(This was second period.) targeted causes, the QNA wants to a pet-friendly place to live.
“Speak more slowly.” “fill in the gaps” and be there when The group is also looking for
(Fair assessment; working on that one.) needed. Last month, they hosted
community members that are able
Their answers bring me to my the Cookies, Cocoa, and Shar-
to fill local needs. If you are able to
third resolution. I resolve to pay ing event at the Quakertown train
better attention to what high school station. Previously, the event had donate your time or talent to your
students can offer me in the way of been organized by former Quaker- neighbors in the community, you
advice. They have the unique ben- town resident David Zaiser. Mr. can also sign yourself or your busi-
efit of the candor that comes with Zaiser moved out of the area, but ness up on the Wish List.
youth and lack of experience that is had asked QNA to keep it alive. Want to come see what the Quak-
gradually lost as we age. Gift cards were collected on be- ertown Neighborhood Association
Finally, I resolve to encourage half of the “Give the Gift of Giving is all about? Their next monthly
others to make a fresh start. Take Project”. $500 was raised at the meeting is Tuesday, January 18
a look at yourself in the mirror. If train station that night to help give
at 7 PM at the Quakertown Bor-
you have to, sans habillement as local needy families a Christmas.
ough Hall. To contact the Quaker-
the French say, and consider your The QNA’s centerpiece is the
destiny. We have only one oppor- Wish List. This is what it is all town Neighborhood Association,
tunity to fully live our lives, but about – neighbors helping neigh- please visit www.quakertownna.
many to change course, adjust our bors. Have a need, but not the re- org. You can also reach them at
priorities and improve ourselves. sources? Perhaps the Quakertown 267-424-0479.
Richland Twp. Supervisors Rick Orloff, be supplied, those being within a two
Craig Staats, Tim Arnold, Township mile radius of the site.
Manager Stephen Sechriest, other con- The project was completed at an es-
tributors and attendees held a ribbon timated cost of $2,730,309.00.
cutting ceremony to mark the comple- The American Recovery and Rein-
tion of Richland’s new “Solar Farm” on vestment Act provided a grant of
the afternoon of December 13th. The $500,000.00. The remainder of the
project, consisting of 1,350 PV solar debt, $2,230,309.00, is said to be cov-
panels, is proposed to supply 25% of ered by a Township bond. The panels
the electrical needs of both the Munici- will generate about 426,275 Kilowatt
pal and Water Authority buildings and hours per year, save $59,675.00 per
is a joint effort. The “Solar Farm” is lo- year, generate $119,346.00 in renew-
cated in the Walnut Bank Farm commu- able energy credits and will temporar-
nity as this area was deemed to be the ily save 29 jobs, as well as create 3
most central location to the buildings to jobs. Photo by Brien Caldwell
6 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011
The Power of a Niche
'Talk about niche marketing.
Toyota released the new VENZA.
A "Pet-Friendly" car. Will it
work?
One thing we know about pet
owners is that they are incredibly
faithful....consumers. They are
not afraid to spend money on their
furry friends, and they view their
pets as family....yes....just like
children.
One interesting fellow I re-
cently met is a "Compounding
Pharmacist" up in Allentown, PA.
He is NOT a CVS, Walgreens,
Rite Aid, etc. As a matter of
fact, he showed me a very small
shelf, about the size of a 6ft tall
bookshelf in his pharmacy. He
said that is the extent of his com-
mercially manufactured medica-
tions. The rest he made in his
compounding lab. Just the way the
old apothecary did. Some people
cannot tolerate dyes or flavors or
certain binders...and he custom-
izes their meds according to their
needs. I found it absolutely fasci-
nating. What a blast from the past
and soooo different than getting
your meds from a large commer-
cial pharmacy chain.
A major portion of his market
is Veterinary Meds. He is well-
known for that. He creates meds
for people's pets...their buddies...
their family members.
Now this is where it gets inter-
esting.
He has clients where a husband
may pass away. The wife may
never call to say the husband died
and to remove him from the data-
base.
BUT...there may be a pet he
was compounding medications for
and the pet died. People will call
him and send him letters and pic-
tures of their pet. The letters may
read something like "Thank you
for extending our beloved Fido's
life another six months, etc..."
I was warmed by that story and
thought that this man is add-
ing pleasure to people's lives by
contributing to their pets lives or
making their last days a little more
bearable. Kind of an unsung hero
in my world, but a true hero in the
lives of dedicated pet owners. A
sub-cultural hero. A niche hero.
Can a car actually "designed"
with pets in mind actually survive
in the market year after year?
After meeting this particular
pharmacist and being introduced
to this whole new world of ultra-
dedicated pet owners....I'm going
to have to say yes.
George Bruno writes about Media and
Culture and is a popular speaker and
host/spokesperson. An avid writer, movie
goer, and motorscooter fan. He is avail-
able to speak to your organization. You
can see more at www.georgebruno.com
What’s Up at the Library?
The following programs are of-
fered by the Quakertown Branch of
the Bucks County Free Library.
The library is located at 401 W.
Mill St. in Quakertown. For more
information, or to register for the
programs, please call 215-536-
3306 or online at www.buck-
slib.org . Please note that the li-
brary will be closed on Saturday,
January 1.
January 8 Family Storytime Beach
Party 11am – 12noon Come to a
beach party and bring your towel
and sunglasses for stories and fun
activities. All ages welcome,no
registration needed. Join us!
Reading Goes to the Dogs 2pm –
3:30pm Read with a canine and
bring your camera. All dogs are
certified therapy pets. No reg-
istration is necessary. All ages
welcome.
January 18 & 25 Bouncing Baby
Storytime 10:15am – 10:40am A
gentle storytime for you and your
little one with stories, songs, and
rhymes. Ages 0-24 months with
caregiver.
January 18 Bedtime Stories 7 –
7:45pm Wear p.j.'s and bring the
entire family for a relaxing time
before bed.
Madison Sagan (left) and Victoria Caldwell (right), recent graduates of St.
Isidore School in Quakertown, recently participated in Lansdale Catho-
lic’s Annual Christmas Concert “Christmas Time Is Here.” Photo by Mr. “C”
January 25 Teen Gaming Night 7
– 7:45pm Show us your skills on
the library's Wii console. Program
is geared towards youth in grades
5-12. No registration is necessary.
January 26 Eager Readers 6:15
– 6:45pm Build vocabulary, read-
ing skills, and fulfill your school
reading requirements while read-
ing aloud with the librarian. Take
home activities based on the sto-
ries. Grades K-3. Registration rec-
ommended.
January 29 Doll’s Tea 2pm –
3:30pm Bring along your favor-
ite doll or stuffed animal and join
us for refreshments and activi-
ties based on the American Girl
Doll series of books. Grades 1 +.
FREE. Registration is a must.
Beginning January 3, 2011 the
Quakertown Branch of the Bucks
County Free Library will have new
hours:
Mondays & Tuesdays
10am – 9pm
Wednesdays & Thursdays
10am – 7pm
Fridays & Saturday
9am – 5pm
 January 2011 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 7

Richland Twp.
Municipal Update
Turn Your Fireplace Into A
By Brien Caldwell Beautiful, Efficient Heat Source
“Not on my watch...”
Those were the words of Town- Visit Our New Showroom
ship Supervisor Rick Orloff re- On Route 309 with 85 Models.
garding any increase in taxes. That
should keep the Richland taxpayer
See Them Burn. Feel The Heat!
happy for the next three years. Wood • Pellet • Gas • Coal
The 2011 Budget was passed at the
Stoves, Fireplaces, Inserts
Board of Supervisors Meeting held
on December, 13. There were no Stay Warm and Save Money!
comments or questions broached
by the seven attendees. A copy of Watch!
the budget was not available, but it Wood Heat Workshop
was stated that the budget was prop-
Mon. 1/10 & 1/24 on
erly advertised at the November 8
WFMZ-TV 69
Meeting and upon questioning, Su- 322 N West End Blvd (Rt 309)
pervisor Tim Arnold advised that
Quakertown, PA • 267-347-5300 www.woodheat.com
the townships taxpayers may view
same at the township building and
obtain for a fee. The Budget is said
to be about $6.4 million, which
holds the rate at 9.5 mills.
Milford Sixth Graders Give
In other business, Ordinance
#245 was proposed and passed. It
is now illegal for any large vehicle,
Tour of Past, Future
such as a Bus or Semi-Trailer, to By Colin Ingram, QCHS Senior Tunnel of Time. tive complexity of the wheel and
park within Ten Feet of any Prop- Boerner said the project was to- fire.
Mrs. Carol Boerner’s sixth
erty Line. An escrow release for grade combined Social Studies/ tally student driven. She allowed “Notice the artifacts we placed in
“Powdersize” came into question RELA Honors Class constructed students to take their idea and run the Old Stone Age section,” said
due to some issues which need to a project displaying its perception with it. The project taught students tour guide Sierra Camburn. “You
be addressed by the Township En- of Milford Middle School during about archaeology while imple- can see the identification signs,
gineers and Manager. The release the Stone Ages and the future. menting engineering. Traveling interesting tools made of animal
was voted down for now and it was Students spent more than a back in time to Milford Middle hooves and things found in nature
agreed upon to re-address at the month enhancing the visual appeal School in 110,000 B.C., students by the hunters and gatherers, and
next Meeting. Supervisor Tim Ar- of the classroom with their con- imagined a cave, cave paintings, even Elmo is dressed in his best
nold reported that he had been in struction. Students conceived the fire and a wheel. animal skins!”
contact with other township “Park idea during a study of archaeolog-
They constructed these items out The future section of the project
and Recreation” departments to ical dig sites. They brainstormed
of long sheets of black paper and entails a crawl-through tunnel de-
discuss conflicts due to duplication ideas of what Milford would look
lots of duct tape! signed to make a visitor feel like
like in the Stone Age and the fu-
of events. Other than this, there Passing through the tunnel, visi- he is traveling through time. One
ture. Determined to transform the
were no Board and Staff Reports. tors noticed the tools become more feature is a poster of a future imag-
two entrances of the classroom,
There was no Public Comment or complex, including a hammer and ined president in the year 5010.
students split into two groups and
Presentations. an arrow head. Eventually the The tunnel includes a vision of a
opted to work on one time pe-
Ordinance #246 was considered riod or the other. They created a Stone Ages progress to the innova relationship with aliens!
and approved. The purpose being
to establish a new Cable Franchise
Agreement with Comcast. This
agreement is more detailed than the
one previously entered into and, in
effect, mirrors the one presently
established with Verizon. Super-
visor Rick Orloff also brought up
the possibility of some permit in-
creases and a penalty to be levied
on those who proceed without per-
mit. This will be on the January 3
agenda.
Mr. Orloff commented on the
success of the “Staff and Volun-
teer “ dinner, stating that a good
time was had by all. There was no
Public Comment and the 22 minute
meeting was adjourned. “Yes, Veterans, there is a Santa Claus” Quakertown American Legion Post 242
The next Board of Supervisors members Leslie Walters (left) and Charlie Wahl (center) present the Legion’s annual
meeting is being held on January Christmas gifts donation to April Harley (right), Volunteer Coordinator, Southeast-
3, 2011 and then the schedule will ern Veterans’ Center. Donations from Post 242 and other groups and individuals
return to the second Monday of are used to provide Christmas gifts to 230 men and women veterans residing at
the Spring City, PA Veteran Facility. Photo submitted by Leslie Walters
the month.
8 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011

Over 300 people attended a recent “coffee house” event at East Swamp Church and were treated to music, good food, and fellowship. Attendance at this successful
event far surpassed the expected crowd of under 200. Photo by Frank DiRenzo

The Quakertown Senior High School Band, under the direction of Frank C. Parker, entertained the crowd at their annual Winter Concert last month. Photo by Frank DiRenzo

The Quakertown High School Girl’s Basketball Team warmed the spirits of LifeSpan senior residents with their Christmas caroling recently. Photo by Frank DiRenzo
 January 2011 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 9

The children of St. Isidore’s parish from the school and the PREP program joined together for a live re-enactment of the Nativity on Christmas Eve. The 10 pm mass
started with girls from the parish and Miss Cindy's School of Dance walking in on pointe as St. Lucia girls as the choir sang.

(left) Santa’s throne was handmade from blocks of ice before a huge crowd awaiting his arrival at Quakertown’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. (right) Cheerful
carolers from East Swamp Church gather for a photo op in downtown Quakertown. Photos by Christopher Betz

Where was
Baby New
Year Born?
The custom of using a baby to
symbolize the New Year began
in Greece around 600 B.C. The
Greeks celebrated their God of
Wine, Dionysus, by parading a
baby in a basket to represent
the annual rebirth of Diony-
sus as the spirit of fertility. The
early Egyptians also used the
baby as a symbol of rebirth.
Although the early Christians
denounced the practice of us-
ing a baby as being pagan in
nature, its significance as a
personification of rebirth later
forced the Church to reevalu-
ate its position. Eventually,
it was decreed that Church
members would be permitted
to celebrate the New Year us-
ing a symbolic baby, provided
it illustrated the birth of the
baby Jesus.
10 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011

Crouthamel Descendents Aim to Fill

Empty Branches on Family Tree
By Deb Crouthamel-Blowars
19686 – Is this a zip code?
NO….. believe it or not it is the
number of Crouthamel descen-
dents to date! Andreas Crouthamel
and his family came to the US on
September 30, 1754 and settled in
Bucks County. They were the only
Crouthamels to come over from
Germany, fleeing religious perse-
cution. They were hard working
people, many of whom had been
farmers, shoemakers, storekeep-
ers, etc.
My interest? Well, I was
born Crouthamel – as a matter
of fact, both of my parents were
Crouthamels from birth. For the
last 10 years or so I became in-
creasingly interested in genealogy
and the like, finding out interest-
ing stories of family through the
years and gathering pictures and
the like to pass the story onto my
future grandkids and such. Two
years ago I became the family his-
torian for the Crouthamels, and I
am looking to reach out to others
to gather their family histories to
be recorded for the future.
This year the Crouthamel family
celebrated our 102nd family re-
union. As my second year as histo-
rian, and being one of the youngest
on the committee, I look forward
to what we can do to make the re-
unions more of an interest to the
future generations. So many I talk
to have stopped having reunions or
have had numbers so low they talk
of ending them. I would hate to
see that happen. After 102 years
of reunions, it would be a shame
to not have families get together,
share a meal, stories, purchase
home baked goods, etc. As a par-
ent of teens ( I KNOW this does not
rank high on their list of fun things
to do on a Saturday night) I hope
that they may meet extended family
members and make new friends. I
hope that someday this will be an
event that they would bring their
family to.
Our event this year was held at
Generations in Souderton. The
events included dinner, recognition
of oldest man and oldest woman
present, family business meeting,
election of officers, roll call of those
laid to rest this last year and the
auctions. The couple married the
longest were married 68 years, we
had 7 veterans present and 10 born
Crouthamels were at the reunion.
We had a new business discussion
which is to hold a summer reunion
picnic this coming year. We are
hoping that this will increase our
attendance. The thought is maybe
a new type of venue is needed to
increase attendance and bring new
Crouthamels to the event.
We now have a website – www.
crouthamelinfo.com and we
are also on Facebook under the
Home School Books - Saxon Math 6/5,
Crouthamel Family group. I am Science, Pre-Algebra, Vocabulary, Spell-
looking to gather family informa- ing, Geography, Workbooks & Reading
Books, Responsibility for Boys and more.
tion such as marriages, deaths, Good Prices. Karen 215-368-5148
births, addresses, emails, etc. By
passing on this info, you are help-
ing us get the records correct. It is
important, as I have some people
I am missing parents, grandparents
for and I need help gathering the
records together. You may contact
me at debsblowars@verizon.net
and send me the above info. You
may also contact me on Facebook,
Deb Crouthamel Blowars. We
would also like relatives to reach
LOSE SOMETHING? FIND SOMETHING?
out with your questions, comments,
Let us help you to solve the mystery for
complaints. We cannot fix it if it is FREE. E-mail the information and your
not brought up. We want you to tell contact information to info@ubfp.org.
us what you would like to see at the
future reunions and what we can do
to make it more fun and interesting
for your kids and grandkids – they
are our future. Take our survey on
our website. I personally would
hate to see this event cease to ex-
ist. I think it is great what we have
been able to do – 102 years I think
is amazing!

Did you know that Julius Caesar was the first to set January
1st as the New Year? He did so when he established the Julian
calendar. The self-named Julian calendar decreed that the new
year would occur on January 1st. Caesar wanted the year to be-
gin in January since it celebrated the beginning of the civil year FREE PRIVATE PARTY CLASSIFIED ADS
That’s right... advertise your unwanted
and the festival of the god of gates and, eventually, the god of personal stuff up to a value of $100.00
all beginnings, Janus, after whom January was named. using up to 20 words to do so. E-mail
your information to info@ubfp.org.

Papillon Puppies for Sale. Ready to

go! Both black and white. One fe-
male and One male. Call for details
215-855-6646

The Abominable Snow-

man is more than an
invention of a televi-
sion Christmas special.
While there is no proof
that it exists, many
people believe that the
Yeti, or an abomina-
ble snowman, lives in
the Himalayas in Nepal.
The word Yeti means
snow bear, and many
people believe the Yeti
is related to Bigfoot.
 January 2011 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 11

Memorable Moments in
January History
Birth Defects Prevention Month
Blood Donor Month
Birthstone: Garnet (symbol of constancy and fidelity)

January 1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January 2, 1788 - Georgia became the 4th US State
January 3, 1959 - Alaska became the 49th US State
January 4 - Braille Day honoring the blind (Louis Braille birthday)
January 5, 1956 - Snoopy first walks on two legs in Peanuts comic strip
January 6, 1838 - Telegraph was first demonstrated by Samuel Morse
January 7, 1927 - Transatlantic telephone service began
January 8, 1935 - Rock & Roll Day (Elvis' birthday)
January 9, 1956 - "Dear Abby" was first published
January 9, 1793 - Philadelphia launched first balloon flight in America
January 9, 1788 - Connecticut became the 5th US State
January 9, 1799 - First Income Tax
January 10, 1984 - Clara Peller's "Where's the Beef" ad first aired
Ongoing Community
January 11, 1935 - Amelia Earhart began solo flight across the Pacific
January 12, 1971 - "All in the Family" TV series premiered
Activities
January 13 - Stephen Foster Memorial Day (died 1864 American songwriter) FREE Diabetes Prevention Pro- Quakertown Library ages 4+, 1st
January 14, 1952 - Today Show premiered on NBC w/ Dave Garroway gram, sponsored by PA Dept of &4th Friday each month, 10:30am,
January 15, 1967 - First Superbowl (Packers beat Kansas City Chiefs) Aging, 312 Alumni Ave., Har- fun and activities, Just drop in!
January 15, 1973 - Nixon orders ceasefire in Vietnam leysville. Free 15-week program www.buckslib.org
January 16, 1991 - Gulf War began runs Jan. to April. Tuesdays
January 16 - Religious Freedom Day (drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1786) 5:30pm, Thursdays 12:30pm,
Quakertown Library all ages, 3rd
January 17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (born 1929, assassinated 1968) Kay Pagni 215-256-6900 or
Kpagni@EncoreExperiences.org Tuesday each month, 7pm, Wear
January 17, 1991 - Operation Desert Storm began
January 17, 1920 - Prohibition began pjs and listen to bedtime stories,
January 23, 1849 - Elizabeth Blackwell is the first woman to receive a Artists of the Gallows Run open Just drop in! www.buckslib.org
medical degree in America thru Feb. 1, a benefit exhibition
January 24, 1935 - Beer in cans first sold and sale for land conservation, Bingo every Tuesday night (doors
January 24, 1964 - First Heart Transplant Palisades High School Gallery, 35 open at 5:30pm) Richland Twp
January 25, 1949 - First Emmy Awards Church Hill Rd, Kintnersville. For Fire & Rescue Fire Co, 64 Shelly
January 25, 1956 - Elvis's first No 1 hit released "Heartbreak Hotel" hours visit www.grwabucks.org Rd, Qtwn, 215-536-7226
January 27, 1880 - Electric light patented by Thomas Edison
January 28, 1915 - United States Coast Guard was established Juried Spring 2011 Craft Fair is
January 28, 1986 - Challenger space shuttle exploded Community Meal-every third
looking for participants for the
January 28, 1878 - First Telephone Exchange established in New event taking place April 16 be- Thursday of the month, First UCC,
Haven, Connecticut tween 10am and 3pm, Pennridge 4th & Park, Qtwn, 215-536-4447
January 29, 1861 - Kansas became the 34th US State Senior Ctr, www.craftsfaironline.
com/userpages/northeast/PCSC- Quakertown Neighborhood As-
SPRINGFAIR.html or sociation – meets 3rd Tues-
snugglebaby@comcast.net day every month, 6:30pm,
Bingo at Richland Twp Fire & Res- www.quakertownna.org
cue every Tues. 5:30pm, 64 Shelly 267-424-0479
Rd, Qtwn. 215-536-7226
“Singles Drop In”, every Wednes-
Upper Bucks Kiwanis meets for day, 5-7:30pm, Revivals Restau-
lunch 2nd & 4th Wednesday every
rant, Perkasie, 215-258-3463
month at John’s Plain & Fancy,
Qtwn, 12:30pm, Meet new friends
and join our Kiwanis Family. A Woman’s Place (support for
upperbuckskiwanis@hotmail.com domestic abuse & violence) 24-
hour Hotline – 1-800-220-8116
Bedminster Nar-Anon meets every www.awomansplace.org
Tuesday 7pm at Deep Run West
Mennonite Church, 1008 Deep
All You Can Eat Breakfast, 1st
Run Rd, Perkasie. Support group
for family & friends with a loved Sunday each month October thru
one struggling with an addiction. April (except Jan.), Springtown
Adults only, bedminster.naranon@ Fire Company, 3010 Route 212,
yahoo.com or 267-897-0695 Springtown

Emma Mininger, 4, of Hellertown got an early visit from Santa Claus on Christmas
Eve at her aunt’s house in Trumbauersville. Despite battling a multi-alarm blaze in
Sellersville earlier that day, Trumbauersville Fire Company was able to carry out
its annual tradition of Operation Santa Claus. photo by Christopher Betz
12 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011

Did you know that today, ‘losing weight’ is the most

common New Year’s resolution? More than sixty
percent of adult Americans are considered overweight
and the number of overweight children has more than
tripled since 1980.

The Grandfather of Quakertown

By Jack H. Schick
Peter Lester (1660-1742), is
one of the best know ‘characters’
from the dawning days of civiliza-
tion in the Upper Bucks region.
His family members were the first
documented settlers in the Great
Swamp, forming the initial core
of Richland Friends Meeting and
the Quaker community. They es-
tablished farms straddling (what is
now), Old Bethlehem Pike between
Tollgate Rd and 9th Street, and
formed the first permanent hamlet
it what was to become Richland
Township, then Quakertown.
Born about 1660, in Leicester-
shire, England to a Quaker family,
Peter ‘Leicester/Luister’ relocated
to the new city of Philadelphia in
1682. He soon moved to Spring-
field Township in (what was then),
Chester County, where he became
a successful farmer and county
constable. He changed his name to
Lester and, with wife Mary Dun-
coff, had seven children. Upon re-
ceiving an inheritance in 1695, the
Lesters moved to Moreland Manor
and became members of Abington
Quaker Meeting.
Peter’s oldest daughter Hannah
married Abraham Griffith, and in
about 1710, they relocated to “Ye
Swamp,” with their two children.
They built a house of tree bark un-
der a leaning rock near Beaver Run
on Old Bethlehem Pike. Finding
life profitable in the “Rich Lands,”
the Griffiths persuaded Abra-
ham’s sister, Patience and husband
George Phillips, Hannah’s sister
Catharine and husband John Ball,
and Hannah’s parents, Peter and
Mary Lester to join them by 1712.
Peter Lester and Abraham
Griffith were instrumental in estab-
lishing the Richland Friends Meet-
ing at The Swamp, under the care
of Gwynedd. Until 1723, when
a Meetinghouse was built on the
Phillips property at the juncture of
Old Bethlehem Pike and “Station
Road,” Quaker worship services
were held in the home of Peter
Lester. As new settlers arrived,
the Lester clan began buying prop-
erty and moving to the “upper end”
of the community in the vicinity
of what is now Main and Broad
Streets.
Family patriarch, Peter was
about 52 years old when he came to
Richland. His grandson, Abraham
Griffith Jr. (b. 1713) is consid-
ered by many to be the first “white
child” born, in what would become
Quakertown. The Lesters and
Balls remained important citizens
in the community for the next 100
years. They were instrumental in
the establishment and management
of the growing community. Their
descendent went on to produce im-
portant American citizens: Herbert
Hoover and Richard Nixon, United
States Presidents.
Peter Lester died in 1742. By
that time the area had experienced
vast changes. Swamp Road (Rte
313), had been completed to the
county seat in Newtown (1730),
the Township of Richland had
been designated (1734), Richland
Friends Monthly Meeting had been
established (1742), and “The Quak-
ers’ Town” had become a growing
and thriving community.
In 1773, prominent Richland
Citizen, Provincial legislator, and
long time Friends Meeting Clerk,
Samuel Foulke prepared a docu-
ment for the 50th anniversary of
a Quaker Meetinghouse “at Ye
Swamp.” He lauds Peter Lester as
“our ancient Friend” and consid-
ers him the founding father of the
community. Peter Lester cannot
but be considered the Grandfather
of Quakertown.
~~~~~
Descendants of Peter Lester of
Richland
1. Peter Lester and Mary Dun-
calf had a son--Peter Lester, Jr. in
1693
2. P. Lester, Jr. and Joyce (un-
known), had a daughter--Martha
Lester in 1721
3. Martha Lester and Moses
Coppock had a daughter--Mary
Jane Coppock in 1743
4. Mary Jane Coppock and Mar-
maduke Coate had a son--Henry
Coate in 1770
5. Henry Coate and Mary Ann
Haskett had a daughter--Lydia
Coate in 1793
6. Lydia Coate and John Davis
had a daughter--Mary Davis in
1820
7. Mary Davis and Eli Hoover
had a son--Jesse Clark Hoover in
1846
8. Jesse Clark Hoover and Hulda
Minthorn had a son in 1874:
Herbert Clark Hoover - 31st
President of the United States
The most recent of these descen-
dents of Peter Lester believed to
have lived in Richland and been a
member of Richland Friends Meet-
ing is Martha Lester.
1. Peter Lester and Mary Dun-
calf had a daughter-- Hannah Les-
ter in 1686
2. Hannah Lester and Abra-
ham Griffith had a son-- Isaac
Griffith in 1721
3. Isaac Griffith and Ann
Brunson had a daughter-- A n n
Griffith in 1754
4. Ann Griffith and William
Mathews had a daughter--Marion
Mathews in 1786
5. Marion Mathews and Jacob
Burdog had a son-- Oliver Burdog
in 1821
6. Oliver Burdog and Jane
Hemingway had a daughter--Almi-
ra Park Burdog in 1849
7. Almira Burdog and Franklin
Milhous had a daughter--Hannah
Milhous in 1885
8. Hannah Milhous and Francis
Anthony Nixon had a son in 1913:
Richard Milhous Nixon -
37th President of the United States
The most recent of these descen-
dents of Peter Lester & Abraham
Griffith believed to have lived in
Richland and been a member of
Richland Friends Meeting is Ann
Griffith.
 January 2011 • Upper Bucks Free Press • 13

Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce

Bridge Between Commerce and Community
By Christopher Betz
The Upper Bucks Chamber of
Commerce serves the business-
es and residents of Upper Bucks
– effectively the top third of the
county. Upper Bucks has diverse
business and cultural communities
and is uniquely positioned between
the Lehigh Valley and the Greater
Philadelphia region, easily acces-
sible from New York, New Jersey,
and points south via an abundant
network of highways.
The 56 year old organization has
over 700 members and partners
who work together to form and
maintain a bond between the busi-
nesses that employ us and the com-
munities that make Upper Bucks the
great place it is. The Upper Bucks
Chamber of Commerce maintains
strong partnerships with such or-
ganizations as the Bucks County
Economic Development Corpora-
tion, the Small Business Develop-
ment Center at Lehigh University,
the Bucks County Department of
Community & Business Develop-
ment, area school districts, vol-
unteer service clubs, and the mu-
nicipalities making up our region.
Additionally, the Chamber main-
tains cooperative relationships with
surrounding chambers both inside
and outside of Bucks County.
Upper Bucks Chamber of Com-
merce prides itself on its effective
Legislative Voice. Strong rela-
tionships are maintained with our
local state representatives, state
senators, county commissioners,
as well as our representatives to
the Federal government. Issues
that directly affect our local busi-
ness community are continually
presented to these government li-
aisons from the grassroots level.
These representatives also keep the
chamber abreast of governmental
legislation and activity of interest
to businessmen and women in the
region. The chamber, in turn,
facilitates numerous informational
and educational programs and fo-
rums to address the issues.
One of the Chamber’s most
unique assets is the Upper Bucks
Chamber of Commerce Founda-
tion, effectively the Chamber’s
“charitable arm” with a very strong
emphasis on education.
Through the Foundation, a dedi-
cated committee of local business-
people and educators brings togeth-
er the resources of local businesses
and students from the Quakertown
and Palisades School Districts,
and Upper Bucks Vocational and
Technical School. The committee
also administers a very successful
scholarship program for outstand-
ing seniors at these schools. The
Foundation also offers “mini-
grants” to support educators and
their students with projects, field
trips, and other opportunities.
The Chamber’s educational out-
reach goes far beyond our schools
with their exciting new initiative,
Leadership Upper Bucks. Partici-
pants discover and develop their
leadership skills, learn how to use
community impact models to effect
change, and experience working
with others in a team environment.
Personal leadership development is
emphasized, not only knowledge.
According to Tara King, the
Chamber’s Executive Director,
“Through LUB, we are develop-
ing our own leaders from within
[the Upper Bucks area], which will
make Upper Bucks a stronger busi-
ness community.”
The Chamber has been an effec-
tive force in forming community
bonds. King passionately calls the
Upper Bucks Chamber “The cata-
lyst. That bridge between com-
merce and community. That one
thing that brings everybody togeth-
er.”
The Chamber’s recent orches-
tration of a computer giveaway is
one excellent example of the orga-
nization’s success in forming those
bonds. 600 retired computers from
the Quakertown School District
were collected, refurbished by lo-
cal businesses, and then distributed
to members of the community in
need of a computer.
The Chamber is not without its
challenges. According to King,
“One of the hardest things is to
make all businesses realize the
value of being a part of the com-
munity.” She cites that there are
a number of industrial and manu-
facturing businesses in the area that
just do not participate. “Your tar-
get customers may not be here, but
your employees are.”
So the Upper Bucks Chamber
of Commerce still has much to
do, and they welcome your par-
ticipation. Visit them at www.
ubcc.org or give them a call at
215-536-3211.

The chambre de commerce of Marseilles (1599) was the first organization to use the name;
the idea spread through France in the 17th and 18th centuries. The first to be formed in
Great Britain was on the island of Jersey (1768). In America, the first was the Chamber of
Commerce of the State of New York, organized in 1768. By 1870, there were
40 throughout the United States.

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14 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011
Linda Stauffer, of the Katie Stauffer Memorial Arts Center, paints a design on
Jordan Zuck’s cheek at the Upper Bucks YMCA’s “Christmas at the Y” event. See
the front page for the final results! Photo by Christopher Betz
The Upper Bucks Free Press is made possible by our sponsors
and advertisers. Please stop in to visit and thank them.
It is that time of year again, Christ-
mas has come and gone and the New
Year is upon us. And I am sure that
if any of you are like me there are still
people from far and wide whom are
home for the holidays that you are try-
ing desperately to see and spend some
time with. There are friends to wel-
come home and family members to
catch up with. And although you are
undoubtedly happy to see these fine
folks you are probably not too stoked
on having them over to your home.
Because if you are like me, your house
is torn up from Christmas. And you
just headed back to work after the
whirlwind of the holidays. And you
are gearing up for New Years. And
you are tired. And your ability and
desire to entertain people, no matter
how much you like them, has dwin-
dled significantly. This is why all of
the entertaining of my friends and fam-
ily between now and when they hop a
plane back to where they came from
will be done outside of my house. I
will rely on someone else to feed us
and provide us with tasty drinks. And
to clean up after the fact.
This time of year most of my free
evenings will be spent enjoying my-
self and my company at Bubba’s Pot-
belly Stove. I know that I mentioned
Bubba’s in my previous article; but
my three sentence blurb can not do the
joint the justice it deserves. Bubba’s
has been a Quakertown institution
seemingly forever, ok; actually it has
been around since 1977, when what
was formerly the Red Cabin Inn was
turned into Bubba’s Pot Belly Stove,
on Route 309 in Quakertown. Back
then they had one bartender, one wait-
ress, and two cooks and ran off a soup
and sandwich menu. But in the years
since Bubba’s has been happily serv-
ing the Quakertown area the size, staff
and menu has grown exponentially.
They still serve soup and sand-
wiches. And most people that fre-
quent Bubba’s would attest to them
serving the best French Onion soup
in the area. Served in a crock full
of all kinds of deliciousness and cov-
ered in baked mozzarella cheese it is
a meal in and of itself. And if that is
the only thing you have for your meal
you will not be disappointed; but when
coupled with one of the dozen ‘piled
high’ sandwiches they offer you will
be thrilled. My personal favorite is
the Mamie Duffy, tuna salad, bacon,
cheese, lettuce, and tomato stacked up
open face on toasted rye bread and a
side of Russian dressing. But if tuna
salad isn’t your thing there are 11 oth-
er options to choose from.
Or maybe you aren’t into soup and
sandwiches; perhaps you are more a
burger and fries type. Bubba’s is a
burgers and fries haven. Their burg-
ers are the size of the plate they come
on. And you can get one to suit any
taste. A plate of crispy steak fries is
James Durham of Coopersburg puts the final touches on his glitter snowflake
ornament at the Upper Bucks YMCA’s Christmas event. Photo by Christopher Betz
all you need to make a meal of any
burger on the menu.
They also offer the greatest 3 egg
omelets in town. And don’t be fooled,
omelets aren’t just for breakfast. Odd-
ly, the omelets they offer are often my
go-to menu choice when dining there.
They have all the usual omelet fair;
but also give you the option to build
your own from a list of fantastic ingre-
dients they offer. I continuously re-
ceive strange looks when I order mine
with sour cream, salsa and cheese, it
doesn’t look pretty on the plate; but
it tastes unbelievable. And while the
wait staff may look at me funny when
I order it, it never fails to arrive on
my table hot and filled to the breaking
point with everything I ask for. And if
a giant omelet isn’t quite enough of a
meal for you they all come with a plate
of those fantastic steak fries.
But please don’t think that Bubba’s
is a one trick pony of pub food. They
also offer a sophisticated dinner menu
boasting Filet Mignon, Jamaican Pork
Chops and Apple Stuffed Chicken.
There is also an impressive array of
seafood ranging from Chesapeake
Crab Cakes to Stuffed Flounder. And
that is just scratching the surface. I
don’t have enough room in this article
to list all of the fabulous dinner offer-
ings that Bubba’s serves up.
And since we are coming up on a
new year and I am sure resolutions are
being made fast and furious for things
like weight loss and eating right, there
is a whole chunk of the Bubba’s menu
devoted to delicious salads made with
super fresh ingredients and filled to
the brim wraps offering fillings like
roasted chicken and grilled veggies.
Holiday meals with family and
friends are almost always punctuated
with over the top desserts and won-
derful seasonal cocktails and having a
meal at Bubba’s is no different. They
offer all kinds of beers, wines, and
seasonal mixed drinks. And decadent
desserts the likes of which you have
never seen.
The atmosphere at Bubba’s is cozy
and inviting. You can’t get much co-
zier then the main portion of the build-
ing being built in an 1800’s log cabin.
If you look hard enough you will find
a black and white photo of the original
building sitting on a dirt road.
Bubba’s has been diligently pro-
viding the fine folks of Quakertown
and their out of town guests with
great food, wonderful hospitality and
great prices for 33 years and shows no
signs of stopping. And their tagline
of “You’ll never leave hungry” has
never been truer.

B eing diagnosed with lung can-
cer has put me in the position
of examining long held beliefs. I
suppose everyone at one time has
had that particular abstract discus-
sion; what would you do if you got
cancer?
When I was about 13, I saw a TV
movie called “Sunshine.” It was
based on a true story about a young
mother who is diagnosed with bone
cancer in her leg. She refuses
amputation, saying, “I don’t want
to be learning to walk on one leg
while my daughter learns to walk
on two.” When the chemothera-
py and radiation made her sick
and bad-tempered, she stopped
the treatments with the reasoning
that if all her daughter knew was
a mommy who only yelled and
spanked, then it wasn’t worth the
added time. She dies at the end.
I decided at that time that living
well was better than living long.
As I learned more about cancer
and the treatments for it, the more
I was convinced that the “slash,
burn, and poison” approach was
barbaric. I would never do that to
myself.
I have watched a friend battle
Women’s Club
Gives $1000.00 to
Area Food Pantry
By Brien Caldwell
On Wednesday the 22nd of De-
cember the Quakertown Food Pan-
try was presented with a $1,000.00
gift from the “Women’s Club of
Quakertown”. The check was
presented to Mr. Marty Mack,
treasurer of the Quakertown Food
Pantry. The proceeds intended use
will be to help support the pantry
during the post-holiday months of
January and February.
Pat Bossert, Co-President of the
“Women’s Club of Quakertown”,
(left to right) Pat Bossert, co-president; Afra Agostino, craft show organizer; Marty
Mack, treasurer of Quakertown Food Pantry; Sandy Shelly, co-president; Marie
Duczak, vice president Photo by “Mr. C”
cancer and other ailments for the
past six years. Not a single day has
been lived while he has been fight-
ing for his life. He is sacrificing
the years he has now in hopes of
adding years to his life. He is con-
stantly sick and miserable. Watch-
ing him has made me even more
determined to concentrate on living
well over living long.
Now this is no longer an abstract
question to be discussed and debat-
ed. I have cancer. How firm are
the beliefs I developed as a teen?
When I was told my x-ray showed
something, I knew without a doubt
it was cancer. But I wasn’t afraid.
I drove myself to tests and doctors.
I gathered information and thought
about everything. I came to the
conclusion that living well is better
than living long. The only accept-
able treatment for me would be a
minimally invasive surgery to re-
move the cancer. Other than that,
I would simply live with it for as
explained that the money was gen-
erated from the proceeds of a Craft
Show that was held on the 4th of
December at the Quakertown Train
Station. The craft show was orga-
nized with the help of Afra Agos-
tino and she looks forward to mak-
ing this an annual event, sponsored
by the “Woman’s Club of Quaker-
town”. Current plans are to hold
the craft show on the 1st Saturday
of every December. Also, the
“Woman’s Club of Quakertown” is
very excited about celebrating their
100th year on 11 October 2011.
January 2011 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
long as I could.
The surgeon was confident that a
lobectomy (removing the right up-
per lobe of my lung) could be done
with two small incisions and I had
a good chance of being completely
cured. So I agreed to surgery on
January 5.
That date has now been pushed
back to April. There are a couple of
reasons for this. The surgeon had
a scheduling conflict, so he needed
to put it off for a couple of weeks.
The next reason is that I’ve had a
cold since mid-November that has
settled in my lungs and refuses to
go away. I’ve had two rounds of
antibiotics and now have to use a
machine to breathe in medication
to help clear my lungs. Last, but
not least, is the fact that I live in 60
degrees all winter long.
The simple reason for this is
expense. My apartment build-
ing switched over from oil heat to
electric baseboard heat a few years
HAPPY NEW YEAR
SNOWY DAYS
SNOWMAN
RESOLUTIONS
ICICLE
CHILLY
MITTENS
SCARF
FROZEN
ICE SKATING
15
ago, which meant that my heat was
no long included in the rent. In or-
der to be able to afford the electric,
I keep the baseboards off and use
space heaters to keep the tempera-
ture at 60 degrees. I dress in lay-
ers and use blankets to stay warm.
Hardly the ideal conditions to re-
cover from lung surgery.
It is a good sign that the surgeon
had no problem delaying until
spring. It indicates that my cancer
is slow growing. I’ll have tests in
March to see if it has spread. If it
hasn’t, then I will have the surgery.
If it has spread, then it is what it
is. I will live with it as well as I
can. My daughter doesn’t under-
stand how I can be so “Zen” about
this. She makes “Zen” sound like
a four-letter word. I understand
her feelings, but this is my life,
and living well is better than living
long.
Beth Coulter is a long time resident
and historian of the Quakertown
area. She holds degrees in Com-
munications and American Studies.
Follow her writing on Facebook @
Just blowin’ my mind. Email her at
Beth@ubfp.org.
SKIING
SNOWBOARDING
HAT AND GLOVES
WINTER
SNOWBALL FIGHTS
EPIPHANY
JACK FROST
MUMMERS PARADE
ROSE BOWL
SUZY SNOWFLAKE
16 • Upper Bucks Free Press • January 2011

Members of the Quakertown Community Senior High School choir perform at their recent Holiday Concert. Photo by Frank DiRenzo
The View From Here

Quakertown’s #53 makes a great shot. Haycock Elementary student, Marina O’Toole, joins her classmates in sending
Photo by Frank DiRenzo handmade Christmas cards to our troops in Afghanistan. Photo by Frank DiRenzo

Sadie, Abbie, Elisabeth, and Audrey do their best to stay on the “Nice List” while waiting
in line to visit Santa at the Upper Bucks YMCA recently. Photo by Christopher Betz

(above) Kevin and Isabella Garcia catch Santa during his recent pitstop at the
Quakertown Train Station. (below) Members of the Quakertown Lions Club take
over Redners Market to buy over $800 in groceries for needy families.
Photos by Frank DiRenzo