Monday, October 22, 2012

Money, money


By Diane Davies-Dixon Correspondent 
Posted on October 22, 2012

Imagine a store that has all your sporting goods and equipment and provides lessons in that sport too. That would be pretty awesome, right? That was the idea Nora Broderick, 10, of Northampton developed during a recent hour-long finance management workshop in Newtown Township.
Learning how to run a business was the objective for Junior Girl Scouts in the fourth- to fifth-grade category.

Under the guiding hand of Zalig H. Stein, a CPA from Huntingdon Valley, and other CPAs, Nora was among 70 girls who recently had a chance to reach for the stars at St. Andrew Youth Ministries in Newtown Township.
First the girls had to think individually of a business they wanted to start and the reasons for doing so. Next came setting hours, promotions, commercials, listing goods and services, business names, locations, how to advertise and convince investors that their business would be better than competitors'.
Nora suggested her store offering lessons in various sports would set her business apart.
Stein agreed. “Know everything you can about the business,” he told the girls. “Read about it and research it.”
In the end, each of the Scouts took the podium in front of the group to outline their plans. Many decided on opening in New York, though that brought a frown from Stein.
“Before running they have to walk or they will fall on their face,” he later said. “You have to grow a business.”
Suggestions were made for the Scouts to start out mowing lawns and baby-sitting so a sense of business can develop.

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Monday, October 15, 2012

Dressage


By Diane Davies-Dixon Correspondent 
Posted on October 14, 2012

Riding is not just a hobby, but a lifestyle, for Emily Sours, 17, a Council Rock North senior. She lives to ride. And competing in the equestrian sport of dressage is her passion.
Emily was one of the four riders chosen from Region 1 — which includes areas between North Carolina and New Jersey — to compete in the Dressage Championships in Kentucky in July. And recently, she participated in the Devon Horse Show.

Although she came away with no medals, Emily said she “learned a lot” with her horse, Nobel Baron.
“Baron gets very nervous when we compete at Devon — the atmosphere is high energy. We came in fourth out of six the first day with a 61.8 percent. Not bad, but I knew we could have done better. The second day, I thought we would be more successful, but there were a lot of people and Baron was once again not happy.”
Dressage is the development of rider and horse, resulting in a well-balanced and synchronized team. In the early years of training, the sport focuses on horse and rider communication. It teaches horses the willingness to work and remain calm and attentive to their riders, and develops the horses’ athletic abilities.
Emily began asking for riding lessons when she was 2 years old. By the time she was 5, she was on the back of a pony; at 7, she was competing. Now in the Young Rider classification of dressage, she competes with other 16- to 21-year-old riders.
Emily lives in Upper Makefield with her mother, Sandy, who is vice president of a consulting firm, and her father, Michael, who is self-employed. Her brother Tyler, 20, attends college in Philadelphia. Her family suspects her love of horses comes from her late grandfather, who had a passion for riding.
The Sours family leases Noble Baron from Francine Gentile, the owner of Whiskey Lane Farm in Flemington, N.J., and Emily’s trainer since she was 6. The horse is an Oldeberg breed, known for its show jumping ability. The horse has accompanied her to events as far away as Kentucky and Florida.
Back home, Emily has two ponies of her own, Oscar and Fonzi. She bought Fonzi at auction and he now keeps Oscar company.
Emily offers this advice to kids who might want to follow in her hoof prints.
“For the kids who want to ride, I say go for it,” she said. “Riding while growing up is great for kids because it teaches them hard work, determination and the care of animals.
“For kids who want to ride competitively, work hard and be OK with the good and bad shows. Also, have good sportsmanship, because that will take people so far in this sport.
“One final thing is, be willing to sacrifice things in order to compete. I had to miss junior prom because I went to Florida for a horse show, but I wouldn’t have done anything different.”
Emily wants to attend a college with a riding program after graduation from Council Rock. “I’m not sure yet what school that would be, but I like the Boston area and that’s where I see myself riding.”


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Sunday, October 7, 2012

Restoring history


Posted: Sunday, October 7, 2012 6:17 pm
By Diane Davies-Dixon Correspondent 
Posted on October 7, 2012

They brought shovels and work gloves to the sacred ground, which was covered with morning dew and toppled-over and moss-covered gravestones.
Restoration began Saturday on the time-worn cemetery behind the Historic Presbyterian Church of Newtown at 76 N. Sycamore St. The church was established in 1769 with the first burial taking place in 1773.

A team of 11 volunteers arrived ready to dig. They were led by Chris Frey, the owner of Keystone Preservation Group in Doylestown. 
The workshop began with a brief rundown of the dos and don’ts of restoring a piece of history. Resetting tilted headstones and cleaning them was the focus of the project. Frey created an electronic database with the condition and photo of each gravestone and the work needed for repair. 
One of the things they do not want to do is make the graveyard look new. Keeping the historical look is part of the mission.
“The goal is to preserve history from being lost,” said Frey.
It will take years and a lot of volunteers to complete the restoration project. And some work will need to be completed by professionals who will cost money. It cost about $700 to restore one grave site, according to Frey.
Understanding the problem is the first step of a successful restoration. The grave sites are “sensitive like sculptures,” Frey said. He believes poor soil is the reason for the stones shifting.
“The most problematic in the cemeteries are the tilted markers,” said Frey. “They should not be able to tilt. A lot of what we don’t know lies beneath the ground.”
Volunteers formed two groups and repairs began one stone at a time. Jeff Denlinger, Mike Bishop, Bob Lemke, Jack Espenshade and Ron Husted rounded up levels, shovels, tape measures and got to work. They removed the first headstone and base to repair the ground below. Old bricks and gravel were removed so the ground could be realigned and leveled. The end result would be a firmly replaced headstone.
And Bill Shikralla, Dan Morrison, Dick Kauffman, Walt Jamison and William Mejia worked on removing the moss and algae from the stones, making the scripture readable once more.
According to Karen Dorward of Newtown, a member of the restoration committee, many footstones rest against the back wall of the cemetery and need to be placed back with the correct headstone. For reasons unknown, the footstones were removed. But, each footstone has the first and last initial of the gravestone it belongs to.
More than 300 graves are in the cemetery. Many of them hold generations of the same family. More than 53 of the graves are of children. A number of them are veterans of war. The cemetery is comprised of four veterans of the French and Indian War, 29 veterans of the American Revolution, one veteran from the War of 1812, one veteran from the Civil War and six veterans from World War II, according to church records.
“The cemetery is the link with our past. Many people settled in Newtown,” said Dorward. “Many children are buried here. It is our responsibility to take care of it.”
Walt Jamison of Upper Makefield, chairman of the committee, has been a member of the church his whole life. All three of his children were married there and his parents attended church there.
“The restoration means a great deal,” said Jamison. “The church is on the National Historic Registry.”
The committee is comprised of about 18 members dedicated to saving history. There are four major fundraisers held each year to pay for the facility and cemetery. A trust fund was set up about 20 years ago to keep up with the upkeep but with interest rates being so low it is not enough to sustain the property and grounds, according to Jamison.
Anyone interested in volunteering can call the church at 215-968-3861.

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Saturday, October 6, 2012

A touch of the colonial era


Diane Dixon-Davies Correspondent 
Posted on October 7, 2012
Folks gathered in the middle of Center and Court streets, near the Half-Moon Inn, listening to music and feasting on food of all varieties.


Newtown took on a touch of the Colonial era Saturday as men, women and children strolled around in period dress. A horse-drawn carriage added to the revolutionary atmosphere as the Newtown Historic Association celebrated its 36th annual Market Day.

Market Day was held in Newtown on historic Court Street and Center Avenue and wrapped around to Mercer Street.
Rosanna Colombo, 24, of Northampton, with First Crossing Volunteers -- Revolutionary War re-enactors -- set up camp behind the Half-Moon Inn preparing sausage and apple stew, serving it to the militia in little wooden bowls. The aroma of the stew filled the air.
Nick Hollister, 24, of Bristol Township, and his children, Cody, 5, and Alexus 1, took part as re-enactors.
“It’s a lot of fun and a great set-up,” said Hollister.
Hollister is a member of the Crossing Community Church in Newtown, through which he became involved in the re-enactment group.
Judy Abramson, 68, of Newtown, comes to Market Day every year anticipating the Revolutionary War era re-enactment.
“They are fabulous,” she said. “They couldn’t get any more authentic.”
Gunshots sounded every half-hour, leaving puffs of smoke in the air and bringing history to life.
Lining the streets were tents that housed vendors selling Christmas decorations, paintings, jewelry, clothing, handmade knits, doll clothes, stained glass objects and baked goods.
AARK Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center was there with a cage of baby opossums, educating passersby of its mission of saving wildlife.
Rug artisans displayed their talents with the rug hook. Betsy Warner of Montgomery County and Annie Edwards of Carversville demonstrated the art of rug hooking, in which old clothing is made into rugs, a hobby that dates back many years.
Colonial crafts and games entertained children in the Historic Boone Garden.
Kathleen Deem of Newtown attends Market Day every year in hopes of getting some Christmas shopping done early.
“I like seeing what people make,” said Deem. “Things here are unique. You don’t find them everywhere.”
Deem is a fan of the jewelry too.
According to Len Franckowiak of Newtown, a member of the Newtown Historic Association, the plan over the next three years is to transform Market Day back to what it once was by bringing more of a farm or agricultural feel to the event.
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Pets receive blessing



Diane Davies-Dixon Correspondent 
Posted on October 8, 2012
Tails were wagging and there was a whole lot of barking going on outside the church doors.

About 20 dogs anxiously waited for the service to begin. Some of them made friends, some stood alone and some paced, all anticipating the service.
A special blessing of the animals took place outside the front doors of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lower Makefield on Saturday.
“Creator of us all,” began the blessing, “bless your friend." Pastor Rev. Michael A. McKillip addressed each animal individually by name and patted their heads.
This is the time of year the church celebrates St. Francis and his love of all creatures, said McKillip. The day was created to celebrate him.
About 20 dogs showed up at church with their owners tagging along for the blessing. In the midst of all the canines, one fearless cat sat in her crate.
Vada Quallis of Yardley brought Jester, a 6-year-old cat.
“I bring her to the animal blessing every year,” said Quallis. “I like to have my animals blessed because they are very special.”
Some of the canines in attendance were there for blessings because they are going through tough times.
Buddy, a blind 9-year-old pug, has surgery this coming week.
Buddy's owner, Wendy Szogi of Falls, said, “It was a good reason to bring him.
“Years before he hurt his leg and I brought him to the blessing then too.”
Oliver, a 15-year-old miniature pincher, also has health issues.
According to Judy Blackman of Lower Makefield, Oliver has disc disease and other issues. He has been to the ER and the veterinarian this week because he couldn’t walk and wasn’t eating.

“He needed a blessing,” Blackman said. Saturday’s blessing was the first for Oliver.
But not all dogs were there because of poor health.
Mindy, an 11-year-old beagle, brought owner Sue Galik of Pittsburgh to the blessing.
Galik, who also has a property in Penndel, saw the advertisement in the paper and thought, “Hey everybody needs a blessing,” she said.
After the blessing, every animal was given a treat.
Lilly, 2, and Willie, 3, both mixed breeds, brought their master Patricia Tarbuck of Falls.
“As soon as the service began the dogs settled as if they were listening,” said Tarbuck. “They knew it wasn’t just another day in the park. The energy changed.”
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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Keeping the candle burning for our troops


By Diane Davies-Dixon Correspondent 
Posted on September 27, 2012
Waiting. Counting down the days. That is what Joe and Cheryl Schachter do.
Five more weeks and their son Joseph will be home from his fourth tour of duty overseas, which included service in Afghanistan.
To keep busy, the Schachters of Lower Southampton started mailing care packages to soldiers in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Schachter, who also is a veteran, knows what it means to receive the packages.

“They love getting TastyKakes,” he said of one popular item.
“At one time it cost $1 a pound to mail a package.” said Schachter. “I would spend $500 a month to mail things to the troops on my own.”
Rich and Sue Bucher had been sending care packages to troops for years before joining the Schachters and helping them found Food4Troops, a 501(3) © nonprofit organization.
Rich Bucher is a Vietnam veteran.
Today Food4Troops is made up of families, friends and veterans plus adviser and chief benefactor Gene Epstein, a philanthropist who lives in Wrightstown.
Almost everything sent overseas by the organization comes from donations. Car shows, the Girl Scouts, schools and many other organizations contribute to the cause of helping feed those risking their lives overseas.
With each package sent, a message is enclosed expressing appreciation to the troops for the sacrifice they are making while away from their loved ones.
The mission of Food4Troops is to send as many care packages as it can and to help the Veterans Administration office in Bristol spotlight the men and women in need.
“One hundred percent of what goes in goes out,” Joe Schachter said recently. “In the winter, people from all over will bake cookies for us to send the troops.”
Annually, the group sends about 2,000 packages to war zones. It takes anywhere from one to three weeks to get them to the soldiers, depending on how deep into the field they are.
“Dentists would pay kids for their Halloween candy so they could donate it to the troops,” said Schachter. “The troops loved that.”
Food and supplies are generally the items mailed to the troops.
In August, a group called The Candle Committee of Bucks County approached Schachter with extra hand-dipped candles. The candles were sent out to those stationed in Afghanistan to be used on Sept. 11 to commemorate those lost in the terrorist attacks on the United States 11 years ago.
The candles added to the tireless efforts of the Schachters and the Buchers to bring a taste of home to troops out in the field.

Want to contribute?
For information on Food4Troops visitwww.food4troops.org. You can add your soldier to the list to receive CARE Packages. The wish list can be viewed online for anyone wishing to help the organization.

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Gyni girls


By Diane Davies-Dixon Correspondent 
Posted on September 26, 2012

Three words feared by most people are “You have cancer.”
For women faced with that news, Gyni Girls can help. The group is made up of women who are living with gynecological and other types of cancer. They meet each month at the Center for Women’s Health in Middletown.

The facility has created a peaceful place for women during the healing process.
The support group started in November 2010, thanks to the work of Dr. Amy Harvey, who is a gynecologist and has worked with women with cancer, and Susan Apollon, a psychologist with 25 years of experience specializing in cancer patients.
Apollon also brings forth her personal perspective as a breast cancer survivor.
The two medical professionals urge caregivers and family members to join the group. It is a chance to discuss emotions, get educational information and learn about different treatments in a warm and friendly group setting.
“It helps women with the changes they are going through,” said Harvey.
Apollon says the healing begins from the heart.
When Peggy Mumme, 79, of Yardley was diagnosed with cancer two years ago she felt the fear that those three little words trigger.
At first she was hesitant to join the group. “What will we talk about?” she thought. But soon she felt at home with the group. There is a feeling of closeness that develops between the women who are all in the same predicament, she said.

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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Teacher lives what she teaches


Upper SouthamptonCentennial teacher lives what she teaches

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Posted: Sunday, September 23, 2012 12:00 am | Updated: 9:00 am, Sun Sep 23, 2012.
By Diane Davies-Dixon Correspondent
Posted on September 23, 2012

The curtains draw to a close, but the show does not end for this Centennial art teacher extraordinaire.
After spending the hot and steamy days of summer as the program director of the Kids Theatre Workshop in Skippack through the Playcrafters organization, Donna Cockenberg of Lansdale spends the school year teaching art at Willow Dale Elementary School in Warminster.

To her, life is a stage.
“Teachers are performers to begin with,” as Cockenberg puts it. Students are the audience. They are taught lessons one act at a time, both in the class and at theater camp.
She’s been running theater workshops for 20 years. She also directs some plays and performs in them. This past summer Cockenberg performed in “The Wedding Singer” and “Pippin.” And her artistic talent was revealed with paintings she created for the play, including one of the New York City skyline.
During workshops, Cockenberg teaches comedy. She also applies her love of comedy to her teaching method in the classroom. For her, it’s key to getting the point across, she said.
“I am very involved with humor,” said Cockenberg.
Said Michael Donnelly, principal at Willow Dale, “It is exciting walking down the hall to see what her art class has done. She is very artistic and involved in music and theater, which is apparent in what she brings to her classroom. She is an educator who is excited about her class and inspires her students to do well.”
Growing up in Glenside, Cockenberg graduated from Abington High School and later attended Millersville University. She eventually graduated from Penn State University.
Since she was a little girl, Cockenberg always wanted to be a teacher. She also loved the arts, both visual and performing. She has been singing and acting her whole life, but teaching art to young people really tugged at her.

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