Morrisville First

Grant for First Ward to Restore Waterfront

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:15:00 +0000

The below was copied from http://morrisvillesfuture.blogspot.com/

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Grant will help improve riverfront

By: PETER HALL

Bucks County Courier Times

Morrisville will receive a small grant from Bucks County to improve a parcel of riverfront land that local environmentalists say will provide a major benefit for the borough.

The Bucks County Commissioners on Wednesday approved the $15,595 grant through the county's municipal open space program to help towards the eradication of invasive plant species on an 8.7-acre parcel of land at the borough's south end.

The commissioners also approved a $261,558 natural areas grant to purchase development rights on a 48-acre property in Springfield Township.

Debby Colgan, a member of the Morrisville Environmental Advisory Council, said the borough-owned riverfront property has the potential to become a unique outdoor resource for the heavily developed community.

"Morrisville is such a small borough and we don't have that much land to acquire. We're pretty much built out," she said.

The environmental advisory council envisions the property as a place for people to walk by the river, fish and for outdoor education.

"This is going to be a very good spot for school kids. It will be an outdoor classroom," Colgan said.

Colgan said the borough is also exploring the possibility of adding an access point for canoeists and kayakers to put their boats in the river.

But before any of that can happen, the borough must remove thickets of Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant that has taken over the property and made walking trails impassable, Colgan said.

The borough will pay a contractor to spray the plants with herbicide two years in a row and then work with the Delaware Riverkeeper Network to introduce native plant species. Delaware Riverkeeper Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Delaware River watershed.

The grant provided by Bucks County is 75 percent of the project's cost. Morrisville will provide the other 25 percent, Colgan said.

Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia praised borough officials and the environmental advisory council for their work to obtain the grant.

"I know that they've worked long and hard to get this in front of you," she said. "We don't always get that many from the lower end (of the county), so this is nice."

Open Space coordinator Kristine Kern said the grant for Morrisville was made available through a new element of the municipal open space program that allows townships and boroughs to apply for money to improve open space that they already own.

The improvement program was added to encourage more participation from municipalities in the more densely developed southern end of Bucks County, Kern said.

Springfield Township will receive 50 percent of the cost of a conservation easement for the 48-acre Harhigh property on Richlandtown Pike west of Springtown.

Laura Baird, resource protection specialist at the Heritage Conservancy, said the Harhigh family and Springfield Township worked closely with the Heritage Conservancy to preserve the property. The process took about 10 years, Baird said.

Baird said the family, which has owned the land for more than 50 years, applied to the Bucks County Farmland Preservation Program, but the property was ranked very low because it did not fit many of the program's parameters.

Because the property was identified as an ecologically valuable site, the township persevered in efforts to preserve it and worked with the Heritage Conservancy to find a program that would be a good fit.

The property includes some farmland where crops are grown, mature forest and wetlands.

Baird said the Harhigh property contains the headwaters of Cooks Creek, a stream recognized for its exceptional water quality by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The property also includes habitat for a number sensitive species, Baird said.

The property is close to a number of other preserved properties. Its preservation will create a 320-acre area of preserved land in the federally designated Highlands Corridor.

Dog Park Opening in Morrisville's First Ward

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:13:00 +0000

The below article is from the Bucks Local News. Read the full article at: http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2010/06/01/yardley_news/news/doc4c057242b2627211014677.txt

Please note that the opening is now scheduled for this Saturday, June 26 at 10 AM. Hope to see you there!

By Petra Chesner Schlatter, BucksLocalNews.com

"No leash, no problem!” Those are the words of Ellen Stieve, president of the Friends of Morrisville Dog Park.

Stieve said members of the group are excited that ‘Opening Day Weekend” for the dog park is on Saturday, June 12 and Sunday, June 13.

The park is located at the corner of Delmorr and Philadelphia avenues across from the Delaware River.

Dogs now have something to really bark about.

“It will be open from dawn until dusk every day,” Stieve said. “This exciting initiative began two years ago by a committed group of volunteers who formed ‘Friends of Morrisville Dog Park.’

“The group’s mission is dedicated to the establishment of space that will enhance community life by offering a safe, clean, friendly and attractive area for dogs of all sizes to come with their owners to play, exercise and socialize,” she said.

Stieve continued, “In collaboration with the Borough of Morrisville and The EAC (Environmental Advisory Council), Friends of Morrisville Dog Park will continue to raise funds for on-going enhancements and support its operation in accordance with established rules and guidelines.”

There are two pens. The large one measures 150 x 200 feet. The small pen is 50 x 70 feet.

“It’s on a beautiful piece of open space property in Morrisville, overlooking the river,” Stieve said. “We have plans for future enhancements — benches and trees. We’ll be working with the EAC on some of those additions.

“I’m pretty excited,” she said. “Say AWESOME! in capital levels.

“Dog owners have to walk their dogs,” Stieve continued. “Dog parkas are a common place to gather and to drink our coffee while our dogs play and get to know their neighbors.

“You usually walk away knowing the dogs’ names, but not your neighbors,” she joked.

Currently, the land is unused. “There’s nothing going on down there,” Stieve noted.

But that will change. Stieve said the dog park will help local businesses because the park will bring people from all the surrounding communities.

Workers were scheduled to dig holes at the location on June 2 and they plan on beginning construction of the fence on June 7. All of this is weather permitting.

To contribute to dog park, send donations to PO Box 1471, Morrisville, PA 19067.

Mortgage Maintenance 101

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:57:00 +0000

Are you having trouble maintaining your mortgage, or just want to understand what your obligations are? What are your rights? Are you being treated properly?

To answer these and many other problems, Bucks County Housing Group is offering a free Morgage Mainenance Workshop at their offices in Newtown, PA. The workshop is scheduled for July 1 at 7 PM., but you must call ahead to register.

For details, contact Sherry Pace at:

Sherry Pace

Bucks County Housing Group, Inc.

Strengthening Families through Affordable Housing...

2324 2nd StreetPike, Suite 17

Wrightstown, PA 18940

P: 215-598-3566 x 126

F: 215-598-1289

www.bchg.org

Free Vouchers for Seniors

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:23:00 +0000

From www.buckscounty.org:

June 7, 2010

Commissioners, County Area Agency on Aging Offer Farmers Market Nutrition Program for Seniors

During the June 2 business meeting of the Board of Bucks County Commissioners, Chief Operating Officer Brian Hessenthaler announced that the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging (AAA), in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, again is offering the Farmers Market Nutrition Program to older adults in Bucks County. The program will begin on Friday, June 11th and provides $20 in FREE vouchers to individuals and $40 to couples for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables at participating local farmers markets. The vouchers will ONLY be distributed at the county’s 13 senior centers, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Fridays while supplies last.

Eligible recipients must be Bucks County residents age 60 or older. In addition, income guidelines are as follows: 1 person: $20,036 or less; 2 people in household: $26,955 or less; 3 people: $33,874 or less; 4 people: $40,793 or less. (These guidelines are subject to change. The federal guidelines that are in place the day of distribution will be those that are used). Interested parties will be required to show proof of residence and age. Please visit one of the county’s 13 senior centers to register. If you are unable to go to a senior center, a relative or friend may register for you by providing proper identification and a completed Proxy form, signed by the recipient. Proxy forms are available on the Area Agency on Aging Web page or may be picked up at the Bucks County Area Agency on Aging, 30 E. Oakland Ave., Doylestown, or at the Government Services Center, 7321 New Falls Road, Levittown. Proxy forms, as well as a listing of participating farmers markets, are available at all 13 county senior centers.

For more information, call Bill McTigue, Administrative Officer for Public Affairs, Bucks County Area Agency on Aging, at 215-348-0510, x1214. For a list of the 13 county senior centers, please visit the AAA page on the official county website.

Call for Talent Show Volunteers

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Got Talent? The Arts & Events Committee of the Borough of Morrisville is considering putting together a Talent Show in 2011. We are looking for a few people who have some experience in performance, music, set-up, lights, events management, to help us figure out if, when and how to do a great talent show for Morrisville.

If you are interested, please call contact me at bhalpern@bchg.org or give me a call at 267-799-5505.

National Trails Day Bikes Through Morrisville!

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:56:00 +0000

NEWS

From the

Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor

Landmark Towns of Bucks County Announces

Town & Towpath Bike Hike

BRISTOL (May 19 ) – Partnering with the Morrisville Business Association, Morrisville YMCA, and the Yardley Business Association, the Friends of the Delaware Canal and Landmark Towns of Bucks County will host the Town to Towpath Bike Hike to celebrate National Trails Day on June 5 from 10 AM – 12 PM.

National Trails Day, launched in 1993 by the American Hiking Association, is an initiative designed to inspire activities and events annually on the first Saturday in June, to raise awareness of and to celebrate the trails that wind through our cities and towns.

Landmark Towns invites bicycle enthusiasts, trail lovers, families and individuals to join them by 635 Delmorr Avenue in Morrisville (next to the Actors Net Theatre) for an informative and leisurely 7.5-mile bike hike along the Delaware Canal State Park Towpath to Yardley Borough and back. Participants have the option of remaining in Yardley Borough to explore and return at their own pace.

Prior to the ride, Ian Kindle, a Delaware Canal State Park Educator, will be on hand to give out information about trail etiquette ("Sharing the Towpath Trail") and general state park information.

Landmark Towns of Bucks County, a project of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, is a regional revitalization initiative of four boroughs along the Delaware Canal – Bristol, Morrisville, New Hope and Yardley - that have traditional downtown business districts. The Landmark Towns project is designed to help these small towns breathe re-newed economic life into their business districts, while preserving and enhancing the industrial and cultural heritage they share. All of these boroughs have exhibited the will and interest to improve their quality of life, preserve historic resources, and enhance economic conditions.

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor fosters stewardship of historical, cultural and natural resources along the early canal and railroad systems that carried anthracite coal from mine to market in eastern Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.delawareandlehigh.org or call 215-781-2605.

For more information, contact:

Donna Boone

Regional Main Street Coordinator

Landmark Towns of Bucks County

2 Canals End Road

Suite 204-C

Bristol, PA 19007

(215) 781-2605

donna@delawareandlehigh.org

Memorial Day in Morrisville, PA

Mon, 31 May 2010 18:03:00 +0000

Did you see the crowds along the parade route inMorrisville, PA? Talk about community spirit! On May 31, 2010, Morrisville Fire Department did a great job at coordinating the Memorial Day Parade for residents of Morrisville. With the help of the Morrisville Police Department and many others, the parade was well organized, safe and fun! Traffic was stopped, kids paraded down the street, and the parade continued until it reached the cemetery along Anderson Street. Once there, folks gathered around the stone Veterans' Memorial (beautified by flowers this day) to pay their respects to our fallen heroes.

Mayor Ledger addressed the crowd with a lovely Remembrance speech and Father John Eckert gave a meaningful invocation. The flint lock rifles were fired in a great display. Thanks to the Cub Scouts, flags were displayed on the graves of veterans throughout the cemetery.

Morrisville First was proud to be among the many local groups (including many fire companies) marching in the parade, with our new “MorrisvilleFirst” banner and a toy wagon tank created by local children. Our “Support Our Troops” banner got lots of cheers along the parade route. Check out the Photo Album on this website for some great photos from the day!

Help Identify Historic Sites in Morrisville

Fri, 28 May 2010 18:29:00 +0000

If you know of any historic sites around town, take a photo and email a digital copy to info@landmarktowns.com. They are making a listing of historic sites for future use, so please include what you know about the property and why it is worth preserving.

This is being done at the request of Landmark Towns of Bucks County, a regional revitalization effort involving Bristol, Morrisville, New Hope and Yardley. This week, Erin Hammerstedt, field representative for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, led a brief presentation in Morrisville on the borough's history and offered up suggestions on how to better preserve it.

Nancy Sherlock, Borough President, is interested in the project and how to use it to help revitalize Morrisville. In addition to Summerseat, there are many historic houses scattered around town. Now is the time to identify them and get them listed.

One historic site that is listed in the National Archives is our stone railroad bridge in Morrisville. Check out photos of it on our Photo page on this website.

Free Camp for Morrisville Kids!

Mon, 24 May 2010 17:31:00 +0000

Check out information on the camps being offered through the 21st Century Grant through the Morrisville School District this year. The website is here. Check out the About Us page.

There are camps for elementary as well as middle and senior high students. Camps begin the last week of June and go through July. They not only include academics but also lots of sports and fun!

Applications are available at the schools and registration is first come, first served. Details are also available on our Forum and Local Jobs page.

First Ward Yard of the Summer Contest

Sat, 22 May 2010 02:00:00 +0000

Want to show off your yard? Win a prize? Or just get some great exercise by gardening this summer?

Then enter the First Ward’s Yard of the Summer Contest. http://www.morrisvillefirst.com/Flyers/Rules%20and%20Entry%20Form5_10_10.pdf

All residents of Ward 1 are eligible to enter. You can find the entry form on our Yard of the Summer page on this website or click the above link.

Just fill out the form and send it in to Morrisville First, P.O. Box 64, Morrisville, PA 19067.

There are two contests. Everyone who fills out an entry form is automatically entered into the Yard of the Summer Contest. You can also enter the “Most Improved Yard” Contest if you would like. For the “Most Improved Yard” Contest, you need to submit a “before” photo of your yard.

You can mail in the photo with your entry form (please put your name and address on the back). Photos will not be returned. Or you can email me a .jpeg of the photo. Send it to bhalpern@bchg.org. Please save the file with your last name and first name as the title to the file. For example, doe_john.jpeg.

All entries must be received by July 9, 2010 at 4 PM.

Judges will be visiting your yard the next week, so expect some company. If you have a dog outside, please let us know! We will not enter a yard with a dog.

No matter what your reason for beautifying your yard, it will make the First Ward stand out!

Get in the spirit and join the fun!