Letter to the Editor: Concerned About Fracking in Montco

A call to prohibit fracking in Montco.

"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men." —Rachel Carson Natural gas drilling by horizontal slickwater fracturing  (often called fracking) is a monumental environmental issue PA is facing that impacts everyone’s future.  Often referred to as a “bridge to cleaner energy” our governor is supporting drilling any and everywhere possible in Pennsylvania to capitalize on the gas drilling boom.  Since the Marcellus Shale does not underlie Montgomery County, I think many of us assume this is not our problem because it’s not in our neighborhood or 500 feet from our schools, but it could be coming our way.  As previously published in Patch, http://ambler.patch.com/articles/fracking-debate-comes-to-montgomery-bucks-…

•  35 Comments
• Photos (1)

Marie Crawford

11:37 am on Thursday, April 4, 2013

In 1988, when I bought my first house, my thermostat was set at 72 degrees. By 1998, it was regularly set at 60 degrees. So you can see this adjustment to cooler temperatures has taken place gradually. We are hardier for it. The cold does not feel as cold, and I have learned that rather than needing a constant temperature, once becoming more active in the cold, we just need to be able to warm up…   more ›

'Operation Nine Reindeer' to Bring Christmas Miracles to Montco

A real-life Santa Claus has taken the initiative to help a pair of struggling Montco families

A pair of struggling Montco families will soon find themselves on the receiving end of a Christmas miracle, thanks to the efforts of 38-year-old Dutch Schrap, of East Coventry, who has decided to take his professional Santa routine to the next level. The son of the elder Santa Schrap, Dutch has followed in his father's snow-covered footsteps for the past 21 years. He's made appearances everywhere from the Lansdale Mardi Gras Parade to gigs with the Philadelphia Flyers and Sixers, and he's even rung the opening bell at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange. This year, however, he's looking to expand on his role by initiating Operation Nine Reindeer, which seeks to aid two families who are in desperate need of support. It all began on October 1, …

• Photos (1)

Montco’s Dean’s List for Fall 2011

A list of local students who made the list

    Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Victoria Bastecki-Perez announced the fall 2011 Dean’s List at Montgomery County Community College earlier this week. The Dean’s List recognizes full-time students who have earned at least 12 credits at the college with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher.    Abington Elkins Park Glenside Huntingdon Valley Jenkintown North Hills Roslyn Willow Grove Wyncote Wyndmoor

• Photos (1)

Montco Resident May Have Exposed Others to Measles

The unidentified resident recently returned from Nigeria

A Montgomery County resident who recently traveled to Nigeria may have exposed other residents to measles, county health officials announced this afternoon. Nigeria is in the midst of an ongoing measles outbreak The infected person is known to have visited three places during the infectious period. The Montgomery County Health Department identified the particular locations and times when it is believed that other people may have been exposed to the infected individual. They are: - July 24, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., Victory Christian Fellowship, 2650 Audubon Road, Lower Providence - July 26, 10:00pm to July 27, 5:00 a.m., Mercy Suburban Hospital Emergency Department, DeKalb Pike, East Norriton -July 27, 3:50 to 6:10 p.m., Whitemarsh Medical …

Being Green Comes as 'Second Nature' to MCCC

Montgomery County Community College scores a 2011 award for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership from Second Nature as the result of its environmentally-friendly measures.

Montgomery County Community College put its recycling program on the line in RecycleMania and put a distinct green spin on its Alternative Spring Break program. Those are only two examples of the many initiatives that cumulatively helped the college to earn a 2011 award for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership from Second Nature. The award was presented at Second Nature’s fifth annual Climate Leadership Summit of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) June 23 in Washington. In winning the award, MCCC joined the company of the University of Maryland; the University of Maine; the University of California, Irvine; and Delaware State University, among others. College President Karen Stout signed …

• Photos (1)

Anonymous iPads for PR Students at MCCC

MCCC melds writing with cutting-edge technology.

Writing for public relations campaigns? There’s an app for that. If not, there may be soon. Thomas Donlan, assistant professor of speech communication at Montgomery County Community College, is featuring Apple’s iPads in his Writing for Public Relations Campaigns course for the fall 2011 semester. The hybrid course will be conducted mostly online, according to a MCCC press release. The course is intended to provide the social media skills students need as they enter the communications field or to update their skills in their current jobs or as they pursue their careers. However, students will come to class in the middle of the semester to participate in a four-session writers’ workshop, using the new Apple iPads. “Tablet technology is a …

• Photos (1)

MCCC Puts In the Hours, Lands on the 'Roll'

Montgomery County Community College is named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

High school students who excel at their studies are named to their school’s honor roll. College students who excel are named to the dean’s list. Colleges that excel at community service are named to the Corporation for National and Community Service’s President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Montgomery County Community College was named to the 2010 honor roll for the fourth consecutive year, along with Montgomery County institutions such as Ursinus and Gwynedd-Mercy colleges. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, annually recognizes institutions of higher education for their commitment to and achievement in community service, according to the corporation’s website. In 2010, 2,385…

• Photos (1)

When 28 Percent Isn't Enough

Montgomery County Community College launches a program to help women entrepreneurs gain the business skills they need to establish their businesses and help them thrive.

According to the U.S. Small Business Association, women owned 6.5 million out of 23 million nonfarm businesses in 2002, generating $940.8 billion in revenues, employing 7.1 million workers and paying $173.7 billion in payroll. With more than 50 percent of the U.S. population owning fewer than 30 percent of its businesses, it seems that the playing field is still not level. Enter Kimberle Levin and Montgomery County Community College (MCCC). To help women entrepreneurs gain the business skills they need to establish their businesses and help them thrive, MCCC is offering a new program—Growing Your Woman-Owned Business. The program aims to provide women with practical marketing, business development, and financial solutions and strategies, …

MCCC's 'Montgazette' Cleans Up at Keystones

The college's newspaper wins nine awards.

The staff of Montgomery County Community College’s monthly newspaper, The Montgazette, won nine Keystones in the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s 2011 Keystone Press Awards, two-year college division. “I wanted students to showcase their articles to professional journalists and be judged among their peers,” said Harry Yanoshak, the faculty editorial adviser. “The Montgazette has been blessed with some talented writers whose interest in journalism seems genuine and not fleeting.” Kevin Devine, of Harleysville, The Montgazette’s editor, took first place in the editorial division with “Welcome Back: Hope You Brought a Hard Hat,” “My MCCC Story: How I Got Here” and “A Time of War.” Jocelyn Moye, of Eagleville, took first and second place …

• Photos (1)

Abington Represents, Wins at Greenfield Film Fez

The prestigious festival had its most successful year yet.

The stars of the future were out Wednesday, May 4, at the Keswick Theatre, as over 200 student filmmakers, friends, family, teachers and fans packed the house for the 2011 Greenfield Youth Film Festival. The festival, funded by the Greenfield Foundation, is a months-long process in which students from area high schools think up, create and submit short films. It all culminated on May 4, when the winning films were revealed and premiered. The festival began three years ago, and has doubled in size every year since. “The first year, we had five schools; the second year, we had 10 schools; and this year, we had 20 schools participating,” said Jill Greenfield Feldman, administrator for the Greenfield Foundation. “We brought in almost 200 films…

• Photos (13)