Phoenixville Focus

I saw the print version of The Phoenix at Rite Aid. On the front page was a

MISSING

story about Borough Council drafting a formal letter to North Ward representative Senley (R) as a response to his missing 7 consecutive Borough Council meetings.

Has anyone heard from Jeff? There’s nothing about it on his blog.

I dared to travel in the snow and our streets were horrible but it was fun driving and the roads where like sledding. The Rite Aid on 23 and 113 had copies of The Phoenix. Not many people are out and The Phoenix’s website isn’t updated to reflect what I saw on the news stand today–and while the flailing local newspaper is reporting neglegent attendance of a representative, and those concerned are not discussing it, I must worry first about Jeff. Secondly, I must worry about should Jeff be removed from his Council seat, who shall replace him.

In an effort to protect our elected officials from…?…email contact information has been removed from the Borough website. In recent weeks the Borough has exhibited a less than reliable ability to handle paper correspondence, and now, as tax payers, snail mail is the only way to reach our representatives. Why did this happen? Keep watching to find out. If anyone has email contact info for Borough Council members, please send here so we can re-open the lines of communication with our elected government officials.

Ticking Toward Tax Increase

Not long ago the Borough was looking at a 54% property tax increase. Now, after many hours of hard work on behalf of our Borough staff and sometimes difficult decisions by council, we’re now looking at a more modest 18% increase to address a roughly 450k deficit.

Along with Borough staff and Borough Council I’d like thank two members of the police force for their personal concessions.

It was made public at the finance committee meeting that two police officers that are going to pursue their master’s degree via an accelerated program through a Borough subsidy are now going to go a more traditional route in their studies, saving 42k.

I’d like to pass on my personal thanks to these officers.

At the meeting I took to the microphone during public participation and asked the finance committee to recommend to council to cancel their 125k yearly contract with the CDC. I wasn’t prepared, nor did I say much by way of persuasion.

I encourage anyone that feels that an 18% tax increase is still too much to attend the September 22 council meeting to speak against the retention of the Borough’s contract with the CDC. The CDC has done great things for the Borough, but right now, in light of our financial situation, I don’t think it’s prudent to retain their services for grant writing.

Yes, the CDC can write grants, but I know that the borough has received offers for as little as 47k per year (a 78k savings) for grant writing services. What’s best is that the borough doesn’t need grant writing services now. We have a very capable Borough manager, and presumably a slim number of available grants to capture in the up coming year.

The Borough couldn’t even tell you how the CDC contributed in grant writing this year. A few months ago I made a FOIA request asking for information about grants that have gone through the Borough and the Borough Manager’s reply was, “We don’t have that information.”

All across the country people are doing more with less. The retention of the CDC would be our Borough insisting on doing less with more.

Eliminating the CDC would take a roughly 450k deficit down to 325k. What makes that significant is that that leaves only 325k to come up with within the next three months before the borough looks at tax increase.

CDC Director Barry Cassidy

I’m paging through the Phoenix for the first time in I don’t know how many weeks and what do I find to my eyes delight but an editorial titled “Community development and promoting change from the inside,” by Barry Cassidy.

I was disappointed Mr. Cassidy revealed “the next area of concentration for the CDC’s revitalization will be the neighborhoods,” and neighborhood watch programs, especially when there are so many yet to be finished capital projects, and was even more disappointed he didn’t title his editorial something more after what he was going after in the piece—“No money to build now, so it’s time to round up all the blacks and Mexican’s and throw them in jail.” A long title, but in my opinion more of what the piece was going for. Read the rest of this entry »

Pizza Profile: Valley Forge Pizza

By Washington Washington

Awards. What do they signify?  Publicity and prestige? Pizza prominence? In this case an award equates to the hanging of a giant “Best Pizza in the Philly Area” sign.  This is an incredibly disturbing proclamation when considering all of the fantastic pizza places in the city. Still, it inspires intrigue, and thus tempts passer-bys to try the pie.

Perhaps the other food at Valley Forge Pizza (1130 Valley Forge Rd) is good, maybe even great, but the pizza to go is downright awful. First of all, the prices are all out of whack. I could have housed my $14 pie by myself if it would have tasted good. I personally think the $7 cook-at-home rising crust Freschetta pizza straight up dominates this crap.

Click here to read hilarious review in its entirety

Looming Specters of Poorly Laid Plans

Editor’s Note: There’s was never a vote on the 100k Aug. 25 (Seek Blogwalter’s comment on Sept 12), thus, any reference to this vote in this story is in error – the fact remains that Kirkner voted with the PA and Handwerk against the loan guarantee.

Some interesting facts have come out of the September 8^thPhoenixville Borough Council meeting, but it’s worth focusing on one simple set of facts: how individual council representatives voted on the parking authority loan guarantee. Read the rest of this entry »

Phoenixville’s final First Friday celebration of the summer was graced by the presence a local(ish) celebrity. I didn’t see the funny woman in the flesh, but upon my getting down town was told of her presence at P J Ryan’s and of her “regular chick” appearance.

Hot? Or Not?

For a moment I was upset I didn’t get to see Tina Fey up close and in person. Among my friends Tina’s a bit of an enigma as far as whether she’s hot or not. An in-person presentation may have been all I needed to get to an answer to the question for myself since, though I side with the “she’s hot” party, whenever challenged I have little firepower with which to back myself up with other than that I’ve…

The argument over her aesthetic beauty aside there’s little argument that Tina’s one cool cat.

After growing up in Upper Darby through high school and college at the University of Virginia, it only took her five years to join the writing team and eventually the cast of Saturday Night Live! Arguably, Tina Fey is the most successful women in comedy today.

From her writing, acting and the interviews I’ve heard her give it’s clear to me she’s a one-of-the-guys type girls. And maybe it’s not her looks, but her frank, dry, sarcastic, boy’s locker room sense of humor and her funny over sexy aura that raises the question over her hotness?

We all know our little Borough has caught the attention of the greater suburban Philadelphia region, and, if we impressed Tina enough (maybe so or maybe not) we’ve now entered the conversations of the entertainment industry elite.

That’s the type of advertising not even a “Classic Town” nomination fee could buy.

Are poured concrete curb cuts a sign that the streetscape project is

Streetscape Downgrade

finished?

The poured concrete curb cuts at the north corner of Bridge and Gay, and on all four corners at Franklin and Vanderslice, are a move away from the brick work found on every other corner along Bridge Street.

How did this happen?

Good luck finding out.

The CDC is not a government entity and they don’t have to–and will not–share information with you.

Missing in action is the Elm Street project on the north side, and in light of an underfunded Andre Thornton Park face lift, we now have poured concrete as evidence our borough and its contractors have lost focus or the funds to finish grand projects once thought “in the bag.”

We just spent 5k for advertising and to become designated as a “classic town.” Can’t we finish some of the project started four years ago?