Sis Boom Bah! Sis Boom Bah! Quakertown, Richland, rah rah rah!!!
Ahh, the unmistakable rap of those wildly-enthusiastic, pom pom-swinging, hyper-gyrating, super-supporters of their high school homies. Go Team Go! Do I sound as good as the QCHS squad? If not, sorry, I just don't have much practice. My journalism school seems to have omitted the honors course on cheerleading.
Frankly, it is not the job of the media, and my column in particular, to be extensions of the Chamber of Commerce. We aren't paid nearly enough to provide high-powered public relations.
So I usually just respond politely to emails like " Why can't you frequently write columns that tout the better things going on in Richland Township, instead of the shenanigans that...(well, you know the rest)?" Like Bob Dylan, It Ain't Me, Babe . You want weekly warm and fuzzy? Subscribe to Hallmark cards. You want the real wazzup? Read here. It often isn't pretty, but it's true.
OK, I got that out. And, this is the time of year for looking back, and looking ahead, and there is a lot of good happening in this area, which should not go unrecognized, by even the crustiest among us...
Gimme a Q!!!...Gimme a U!!!...
Lets start in Quakertown, which is in the midst of a full-blown revival. Mill Street, which used to be Ill Street, with the old Krupp brownfield and deteriorating town pool, is now Rebuilt Street. The new pool building and library are as nice as you will find anywhere.
A few blocks away, Scott McElree has taken over as police chief, and has exponentially improved morale and communication. The department now officially sanctions, and publicly recognizes, the kind of cooperation that the fine officers always provided, in spite of their former chief.
Planning is well under way for the borough's sesquicentennial celebration, and the long-awaited opening of the renovated train station is imminent. These major undertakings, spearheaded by volunteers, are the kind of civic-pride activities that are so necessary to keep a town excited and exciting.
And, finally, despite sharp increases in electric and water rates, there will be no tax increase in 2005. Compare this to other municipalities in Upper Bucks, where taxes have shot up by as much as 50%!
Gimme an R!!!...Gimme an I!!!...
Richland has taken huge steps to address traffic issues. Vehicles already move much more freely in the lower end of the township thanks to the roundabout on Old Bethlehem Pike, plus the extension of Station Road to Route 309. Late in 2005, we will see the beginning of two more major projects:
Ronald Reagan Drive, which now runs from Fairview Avenue to the new Strayer Middle School, will be extended to Station Road. This will connect 309 to 663, completely bypassing the borough.
And, a computer-controlled Closed Loop System will coordinate all traffic lights on 309, Main Street, and California Road, between Tollgate and Pumping Station. This $1.5 million grant is a joint project of Richland and Quakertown, and demonstrates what can be done when the municipalities work together.
Two modern industrial developments are reclaiming part of the old brickyard brownfields on Heller Road, and together will provide over 100 new jobs. Another portion of the tract will become townhomes, and a beautiful public park with a lake.
New stores like Starbucks, Loew's, Kohls, and Giant provide convenient local shopping, as well as dozens of new jobs. Richland Marketplace, the first major mall between Montgomeryville and Allentown, is on the way, as is the new YMCA. The Upper Bucks Government Center will have a County Building, Township Building, and new police station.
Richland's police force continues to be upsized and modernized under Chief Larry Cerami. Rich Ficco and Matt Kisthardt were promoted to sergeants, and Lee Matthews and Tom Murphy were hired as new officers. State-of-the-art Mobile Data Terminals were added to all of the marked police cars, giving officers in the field immediate worldwide contact.
The township's volunteer ranks are swelling, with more than 150 people attending the annual dinner. The Preservation Board will soon announce the protection of more than 200 acres of Open Space, bringing the total to over 1150. Richland has 1, 5, and 10-year budgets in place. And, oh yeah, no tax increase again in 2005.
Gimme an M!!!...Gimme an I!!!...
The big news in Milford is that the critics of the food irradiator have settled their differences with CFC Logistics, and dropped their lawsuits. Development by the turnpike interchange has boomed, and the town has helped commuters by constructing a large park-and-ride lot. Milford and Richland cooperated in persuading PennDot to elevate the proposed Portzer Road bypass to the top of the to-do list. When completed, it will carry traffic between 309 (at Pumping Station Road) and 663, reducing the strain on the heavily-used Trainers Corner intersection.
And, no Milford tax increase.
Gimme some other letters!!!...
Finally, Quakertown School District gets an "A" for providing the most important commodity in any community, the education of our children. A remarkable 82% of the graduates in 2004 went on to college, compared to 78% in 2002, and 68% in 1999! The teachers who help make this possible have a contract through June 2006, support staff until June 2007.
The new Strayer Middle School is completed, with Pfaff Elementary, the new freshman center, and the football stadium renovations to be ready by September.
The value of all area homes is soaring! From 1998-2003, the median price in Haycock jumped 78% to $255,000. Richland increased 57% to $234,000. Quakertown was up 47% to $156,450. Milford improved 33% to $210,000.
And, perhaps the best news: We have not lost a local hometown hero in the Middle East. All in all, a report that would make even Scrooge shake his booty and cheer!