New Native American Holiday Enacted

Solebury Vote Denied!

By Bernard Heyman, Newtown

Within less than four miles of another huge and hugely successful hospital: St. Mary on Rt.413, another hospital complex is being proposed for construction. Over a year ago Frankford Hospital changed its name to Aria, and purchased the south east corner of Shady Brook Farm, directly on the intersection of  Stony Brook Road and the Newtown Bypass. Currently Aria has an application before the LMT Zoning Board, requesting changes that would permit it to build the first three units of a hospital complex, including emergency ambulances, helicopter landing pad, etc.

Almost immediately after the announcement, there was a surge of public protest and a sign was erected on the Bypass by a citizens’ group. According to their website the Township Supervisors are against the project, but the Zoning Board is responsible for the decision on the matter. There had been much public concern aired a few months ago, but currently little is being heard on the subject. Lest dimming community memory work in favor of project approval, it is critical that there be far more concerted public input. Let’s review the current and possible future traffic conditions at the intersection - and major problem - at the site.

The intersection is in the form of a “Tee”  with the Newtown Bypass being the top leg moving through from its collecting loop around Newtown east to major north and southbound connections to I-95 only a few hundred yards ahead, with a single lane continuation into Yardley.  Feeding into the Bypass west of the intersection is a dense mixture of  housing, business, industry, mining: all in Newtown, Middletown Township,  and part of Lower Makefield - including a quarry, five multi-building multi-story office complexes, Lockheed-Martin’s facility, a college branch, George School, plus two good-sized shopping centers. Due to the current economic situation there are a conservatively estimated over 200,000 square feet of existing office space looking for tenants and when filled will be feeding more traffic into the bypass. In addition, there is one large new office building under construction, one combination retail and condominium project approved for construction, and two large residential estate projects in construction, all in areas that will add more traffic load to the Bypass and this corner.

Connecting to the Bypass and terminating, Stony Brook Road contains four major multi-story multi-building office parks, the Floral Vail medical complex, and a connection across I-95 serving traffic to and from Yardley, plus vehicles from further south, moving to and from the same two I-95 connections. This intersection is therefore already a heavily-loaded critical “sorting out spot” for passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles and heavily loaded “slow-to-leave-the-light” quarry trucks.

The obvious criticality of this intersection was acknowledged by the way the State DOT designed and built the I-95 connection a few years ago.

For hours every business day this intersection sees long lines of vehicles, two lanes wide on the Bypass, slowly working their way through the traffic light: lines frequently hundreds of yards long. Local law enforcement agencies of necessity closely monitor this piece of roadway, and have commented that the proposed Aria development would require, in addition to expanded roadway, greater annual expenditure for traffic control in the form of more manpower and more cruisers, plus additional ongoing area illumination, and roadway maintenance. They also acknowledge that these would only be partially alleviating. And it must be remembered that a hospital is tax exempt.

In view of the predictable impact of a hospital in this location and further tag-along other developments that are already advertising , as well as those that would inevitably be lured by proximity to a hospital, it is urged that far more public voice be heard, published, and seriously considered before any thought of approval is contemplated.
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Bernard Heyman’s CV includes a decade as a Town Planning Board Member and Chairman, Design and Construction Manage of IBM’s Real Estate Division for many facilities nationwide including the Philadelphia IBM Building, Adjunct Professor at the Pratt Graduate School of Architecture, Project Manager for the development of the Mercury Command Center at Cape Canaveral, and Civilian Base Civil Engineer for Thule AFB in Greenland.

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RESIDENTS WANT PUBLIC HEARINGS REGARDING THE SELLING OF HISTORIC WASHINGTON CROSSING PARK FOR $1

After residents challenge that there was little public awareness of the three year plan, House Bill 2126 passed in the State Congress approved the selling of Washington Crossing Park acreage to a private corporation, the Bowman Wildflower Preserve -- for $1.  Citizens purchased the park during the early 19th century and today, a local group Crossing Legacy Foundation, wants the park to stay in the public domain and perhaps under the National Park Service. A final vote by the Senate will need the Governor's approval to pass.

196 legislators voted in favor of selling Washington Crossing Park, as follows:

April 27, 2010:  "An Act authorizing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey to the Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve Association, Inc., certain lands situate in Solebury Township, Bucks County."

9 (a)  Authorization.--The Department of General Services, with 

10 the approval of the Governor and the Pennsylvania Historical and

11Museum Commission, is hereby authorized and directed on behalf

12 of the Commonwealth to convey to the Bowman's Hill Wildflower

13 Preserve Association, Inc., for $1 the tract of land describe

14 in subsection (b). 

Crossing Legacy Foundation is primarily made up of Washington Crossing residents that successfully fought previous development plans. Its leaders say that officials did not give the community time to weigh in about a sale of a property that is owned by the public and has been a part of the local legacy. 

http://bit.ly/dBmc1O

Another group called Friends of the Park which like some of the re-enactors that use the park, support the $1 sale in a plan that is endorsed the state's park service. 

http://bit.ly/7OBpKY

The private corporation, Bowman Wildlife Preserve, worth some $3 million, will be given the historic land in the $1 sale and is looking at the type of massive building development on the property that has continued in Bucks County.   Some 137 acres are in question.

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What's YOUR STORY?

On Saturday, April 24th at 2PM   In the new form of local media, the stories come from the citizens.  This was the discussion in a standing room only meeting, Bucks residents from across the county discuss the stories they would like to see covered in their towns.  The topic of the meeting was an examination of the digital online space and how to best use it to have stories heard.  Oneifbylandbuckscounty.com is looking for stories from the grass roots and invites all to participate.  

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May 9th - BENEFIT CONCERT FOR DESPERATE LAKOTA AND CHEYENNE RESERVATION - Storm Aftermath - Click Story of the Day

Anyone who can remember this winter, should know that nine Native American reservations were devastated by ice storms that destroyed entire villages. The average temperature was 50 below zero.  Today there is still no electricity or water supplies.  The hardest hit were the children and the elderly.  Spring is here, but they are still suffering.  The hardest hit were the Pineridge, Rosebud and the Cheyenne River Reservations.

You can help.  On May 9th, there will be a benefit concert held by your neighbors in Lansdale.  Feel good about helping people in need and meet your neighbors.  Make a difference!  Address - Lansdale Performing Arts Center, Main Street and Madison Avenue in Lansdale, Contact Ken Gallagher at 215-855-7530 or keng1968@hotmail.com

Please help.

Contact 484-302-1600 for more information 

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Community Groups form to CONNECT BETTER WITH OFFICIALS - NEWTOWN 21st CENTURY VOICE

An aid to Chuck McIlhiney came to hear ideas and to greet the residents of Newtown on February 28th, 2010.  Jon Frey, of PA-TEC, the support group for a Newtown SEPTA R8 to Philadelphia, said he was pleased to meet local officials and indicated he wanted to form a collaboration, not just for a train, but for transportation from park and rides to the train station.  (Frey will be presenting to the Lower Makefield EAC on Wednesday, March 10th...see news story on front page and Watch LIVE here.)

Newtown 21st Century Voice was created two years ago to foster communication between officials and the citizens. "The turn out for the meeting was great! 70 people showed up." said Jaime Marks Corvino, a member who took part in OiBL videotaping of the Town Hall meeting. "It was positive all away. People and officials engage weil in the topics of a Newtown Septa and residents seem to have been overwhelmingly in support of a community center for quite some time." Newtown 21st Century Voice will be meeting to plan for more Town Hall meetings this year.

NEWTOWN TOWN HALL MEETING, Feb, 28th:

Due to technical streaming difficulties, Audio Only is available of the First  Newtown Town Hall Meeting - buffering occurs at the beginning:   http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/5093193

On FEBRUARY 28th with the old Acme Supermarket site an eyesore, residents hoped for a community center.  Instead the land was sold to a developer.  Additional public transportation would ease the burgeoning traffic in Newtown.  It's not worth complaining about, some residents say,  Let's just fix it.

It's time to examine the sustainability and environmental impact of building. It's time to give options to drivers in a way that represents a global solution launched right out of Newtown, Bucks County.  That's what citizens say.  The above meeting at George School was attended by Newtown citizens and officials to discuss a quality of life survey of over 300 residents of beautiful Colonial-era Newtown, Bucks County, PA. Come to 1690 Langhorne Yardley Road, Newtown, PA 18940 (215) 579-6500.  PA-TEC asked officials to support reinstating the old SEPTA R8 from Phila to Newtown.

Question of the DAY:  Why is Bucks Land of so much interest to Developers? Comment Here.

PART 2 - Let's Listen to Each Other  

By Pam Fitzpatrick

"With meetings like the one on February 28th, at 2 PM at George School, my hope is that this special Town Hall gathering will empower greater resident participation and communication with our local Boards. My wish is to foster a large grassroots group effort to help promote active involvement in the community."

Your input and participation, large or small will make a difference. It only takes one person for positive change and it could be you." Follow Pam's post here and comment after story below or click "COME HOME" to get to front page and comment link is there under Story of the Day!

While visiting a friend in Doylestown, Pilot Andrew Diffley, tells Dramatic story of making Relief flights in Haiti

Watch Andrew's Video taken in Haiti:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShsnBmviKH8

"This was a really rewarding experience, probably the greatest I ever had in my life. The only thing that comes close was when I was in the infantry in Vietnam. I learned how to fly after I got out, which I have enjoyed. Out of the blue, came another opportunity last month to serve humanity. You don't think about what you can do, you just do it."

"This is my story about how I traveled four thousand miles through the Haiti earthquake disaster. I would land the plane, crash into sleep, get up in the AM and do it all again.  4,000 miles.  After I got home, I added up what it cost me out of pocket and came up with an amount that equaled a dollar a mile.  I would do it all over again.  

January 27,  2010.  What started out as a normal Sunday for me wound up as a week long adventure in Haiti to deliver medical supplies and food to remote cities. I am a volunteer pilot for missionary groups.  I received a call from Bahamas Habitat, based in NC -- a Christian missionary group that fix houses -- and they have some airplanes. They were organizing a medical supply relief effort to Haiti.  I said, yes, and found the additional equipment for the trip in Wilmington from a group called, Shoes to Share.  They offered to fill my airplane with clothing and shoes.  I declined the shoes due to space, but asked them to round up medical equipment. They came up with a trailer load. I took off on the mission in the twin engine Piper Aztec.

For years, I'd flown for a group called Air Lifeline, for Angel Flight, and for a group called Veterans Airlift, which focused on getting wounded soldier's and families from point A to point B.  For this trip, I flew to Nassau and unloaded the entire plane of supplies. Two doctors there were there trying to  get to Les Cayes, Haiti.    Les Cayes is Haiti's third largest city, and there was no relief flying in.  So that became my second mission -- to fly the doctors from Nassau to Les Cayes, then fuel up and come back to Nassau, to go back to Haiti only once again.  

But the plan had changed by the time I got to Les Cayes. It was too late to fly back and so I was invited to spend the night with Christian missionaries. I slept on a couch. When I woke up they asked me to volunteer to fly to lots of other towns to deliver food where there were landing strips.  Reciprocal Ministries International needs donations.  They are the group that operates the clinic and gave me a place to stay.  

To Donate to Andrew's favorite charity:  http://www.rminet.org/

"Actually, the only part of it I really experienced was how missionaries were doing things:  Two way radio transmission; generators for electricity. The basics. Cite Lumiere, the clinic in Les Cayes, was inundated with patients. I did see partnerships with U.S. nurses. There was one doctor from Iowa and another from Missouri. In fact, there happens to be a whole network of doctors that goes once or twice a year go to remote clinics around the world.  I was pleased to be invited to tour the clinic and hospital and to meet patients.  I didn’t see any government agency. The clinic and hospital had only Tylenol for treating patients.  

Dr. Bill Tenhaff goes down for a week out of every month.  One day during this disaster he did forty amputations. Because of little help or supplies, this is more like Civil War surgery than anything else.  There were so many injuries.  Doctors had to do 30-minute amputations because so many people were waiting with injuries that threatened death.  With no supplies, there is no other way to save lives.  Fearing deadly infections, doctors have to take the limb off anyway. One boy never cried out in pain. The people withstood it all, stoic, and grateful for the help. 

Cuba is closer to Haiti than any other country has five field hospitals set up in Haiti. There was lots of other relief efforts visible in Port au Prince.  I saw the Royal Jordanian Airplane, one from Brazil and from Canada. A huge international relief effort.  And all different agencies scraping up donations. The tricky part is getting all of that relief effort into towns outside Port au Prince. 

The smart people are not trying to organize all of this, they're just take a small piece of the effort and getting it resolved.  That's how the missionaries operate. I stayed at their bunkhouse, so I had a place to sleep. Other pilots would land, unload and take off again.  By staying, I had a unique opportunity to see some of the country and to be a witness. I want to tell you that that rounding up clothes and food won't help unless you have means to get it there.  It's not as useful to buy food here when they can buy food from closer places and get it there more efficiently.  They can take money, though, and buy what they need wherever it is available.  

The whole trip became an adrenaline rush --going into a small place, in the mountains, short narrow and bumpy runways.  

After Les Caye, the city of Fond des Blancs was my next destination.  I ate one meal a day, I was sunburned, and lost ten pounds  but none of that mattered. My next mission was to La Gonave, an island right in the center of Haiti but totally isolated from the rest of Haiti. I did a flyby at La Gonave and it looked really long compared to Fond des Blanc.   This time, I was carrying rice and beans.  That's what they eat.  Again, these are places that are not on the relief track. The mayor came to meet me and shook my hand.  He spoke in French and here I am standing there and I didn't understand one word.

I had started out on a Wednesday, expecting a short trip.  I  wound up staying for a week.  The day after I got home I went right back to work.  I would have stayed longer if I could have.  Big concern down there was fuel. You had to plan according or you would wind up being stuck down there. I went took my own food, a sleeping bag, spare parts, water and oil for the airplane. I was careful to keep enough fuel to get to someplace that had fuel, i.e, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic.  Once place had run out of fuel so I wound up doubling back to to Port au Prince to get more there.

A friend had once sent me a email which said, "Save your money for a worthy cause."   Although I spent about $4,000, I didn't do it with the expectation of anyone giving me the money back.  I feel fortunate being able to have been able to contribute.  Money well spent because I did help some people down there get medical and supplies. They ate.  The town was able to opened up an air strip for continued use.  I received a thank you email from the Reverend Thomas in Les Cayes.  It doesn't get any better than that."  

Two if by Sea

News from the Delaware Valley and Beyond