Bucksview Blog - Bucks County Pa

Tractor for sale on Ebay

2008-07-20T23:57:00.004-04:00

We have a Lawn Tractor for sale on Ebay. It's local delivery only. The engine is shot. It might be possible to rebuild it or it may have to be completely replaced.

Some of the specs are

Sears LT 1000 Riding Lawn Tractor.

Cutting deck and trans are working

Item is being sold As-is.

Pickup only in Upper Southampton, ZIP 18966

For more info and photos, see the ebay Listing

14 year old boy is missing

2008-07-15T10:22:00.003-04:00

A fourteen year old boy from Middleton is reported missing as of about July 13th 2008

For details see http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-07152008-1563138.html

8th Village Renaissance Faire September 20th & 21st , 2008

2008-07-14T11:03:00.003-04:00

This is always a neat event. They have jousting, tournaments and tons of stuff to do for the whole family. They even had a trebuchet the last couple of years.

For more info, see

Middletown Grange Fair - August 13 through August 17 2008

2008-07-14T10:57:00.001-04:00

The Middletown Grange will be having it's Grange Fair August 13th through August 17th, 2008. It's a great chance to see a slice of rural life and lots of great farm animals.

See http://www.grangefair.org/GrangeFair.html for details

District Attorneys, 150K/Year - Jurors, Peanuts

2008-07-14T10:42:00.002-04:00

There was an article today in Phillyburbs that hit a sore spot for me. Mainly it outlined the shortage of funds to pay the DAs in the counties. What got my attention was that the salary of the DAs is about 150 THOUSAND per year. A juror in Bucks County gets a whole 9 bucks a day plus 17 cents a mile. A lawyer playing "Lawsuit Lottery" stands to win Hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single case. Not a bad system where you can force people to work for free to enrich those running the system (Didn't we fight a war in the 1860's over something like this??)

Isn't it time to revamp the system to compensate jurors fairly?? Why should some ambulance chasing lawyer be able to bring a frivilous lawsuit to court and then have the power to force people to give up earnings to sit on a trial while they drone on and on?? No one in the court system cares about the jurors. The county personell are all well compensated with salary and benefits. The Lawyers are either billing at $200 to $500 per hour for every single minute they are even thinking about the case or they are on a contingency fee basis "If we don't get you MONEY, you don't have to pay".. Meanwhile Joe Average has to squirm about being pay their mortgage and their kid's health insurance while they listen to legalistic maneuvers.

Betcha the Lawyers, Prosecuteors and DA's all have a big laugh together at their Country Club at our expense...

FAIR COMPENSATION FOR JURORS NOW!!!!!!

First Friday in Doylestown. June 6th 2008

2008-06-03T20:18:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for something to do, check out http://firstfridaydoylestown.com/ . A wide range of entertainment will be available along with food samples and specials from local merchants.

Love, Sex and the IRS live at the Newtown Theater. June 12th-18th 2008

2008-06-03T20:14:00.003-04:00

The Newtown Arts Company will be presenting Love, Sex and the IRS at the Historic Newtown Theater from June 12th through June 18th, 2008.

Check out the Newtown, Theater's site http://newtowntheatre.com/ for information about other shows including the new Indiana Jones movie.

AHA Friday - June 6th 2008 - Newtown, Pa

2008-06-03T20:11:00.002-04:00

Check out http://newtownpa.org/calendar.php

This Friday, June 6th is AHA Friday. Aha Friday is a night on the quaint olde town of Newtown. Many of the merchants offer specials and there is usually a variety of entertainment to be had.

Come out and have fun...

Sign up for the Bucks County Alert System

2008-05-24T10:21:00.002-04:00

The County Commissioners had a link to the Bucks County Alert System on the County website.

The idea is that, if there is an emergency, you will receive email, cellphone or pager notification (people are still using pagers??)

Given the post 911 environment and our proximity to potential problem areas such as New York City, this is probably a good idea.

You can visit the PA alert site at https://bucks.alertpa.org/index.php?CCheck=1

If you live in another nearby county, check out http://www.readynotifypa.org/

Ringing Rocks State Park - Debunking Global Warming

2008-05-22T23:45:00.006-04:00

The Google Sat photo below is of the boulder field in Ringing Rocks Park.

View Larger Map

The boulders in this field have a unique ability to generate tones when struck with a hammer or similar object. They are a product of the Pleistocene Epoch ice ages which occured from 10,000 years to 1.8 million years ago. The ground in this area of Bucks County was permanently frozen as Permafrost which fractured the bedrock. In other words, it was pretty dang cold. The warming trend has been going on for a lot longer than there were SUVs in Bucks County.

The park is a neat place to take the family if you want to have some outdoor fun while learning a bit about geology.

For More information

Wiki article on ringing rocks
Philadelphia Geological Society article on the origin of the rocks

Lunch at the Yardley Inn (March 08)

2008-03-21T18:25:00.003-04:00

We stopped in for lunch at the Yardley Inn of the Friday before Easter. If you get there after 2:30 you are limited to their bar menu. We got there just in time for lunch. We got a great seat with a view of the river.

Our waitress was one of the best we ever had in terms of service and overall cheerfulness. They bring out a pretty good assortment of bread and miniature corn muffins that were especially tasty. Our son ordered a shrimp cocktail which was 5 Jumbo sized shrimp for $13. He also ordered a dish of pasta for $8. My wife and I both had the Crab meat with potatoes and Ratatouille with a caper sauce. ($15 each) That was excellent. For desert I had an Oreo chocolate pie as did our son.

The total tab came to about $86. It was definitely worth it. We also found that they have a couple of rooms for parties. One of them will host about 30 people and has a view of the river.

It's definitely one of those places where we want to go back to soon.

For more information, see the Yardley Inn site at http://www.yardleyinn.com/

Langhorne Borough 5k run 1k walk April 19th 2008

2008-03-19T11:55:00.002-04:00

Langhorne Borough is having a 5k run/ wk walk to benefit the memory of Clayton Thomas on Saturday, April 19th 2008, Rain or shine.

Location; Maple and Bellevue Avenues
Time: Reg 7-8 am, walk 8 am, run 8:30 am

Registrations are available at the Langhorne Coffee House. You can also contact the Langhorne Borough Business association at http://www.lbba.info/

NOTE - if anyone from the run wants to post additional contact info here, please feel free to do so.

BLACK BASS COMING BACK

2008-03-13T12:44:00.001-04:00

"On Monday, the hotel was sold to the highest bidder, Doylestown car dealer Jack Thompson, who laid down $830,000 for the building and all its contents, including the liquor license and an array of antique furnishings.
“We want to refurbish it and bring it up to standards,” said Thompson. “It's beautiful; it just needs to be taken care of.”
Thompson said he's not concerned about the unpredictable river swallowing up the hotel again. The foundation is very stable, he said, and has survived both time and water.
The new owner intends to begin the renovation project later this spring, once he settles on the property."

Brown Stink Bugs... Aaaaarrrrggghhhh

2008-03-11T09:23:00.002-04:00

We are fighting a losing battle with those nasty little brown stinkbugs. Apparently they came over from Asia and are in the area to stay. During the winter months, they tend to find their way into houses and live in the walls. If there are any cracks or openings they then find their way into the house.

These things are ANNOYING. The sit on a wall or other surface and just sit there. Once in a while they will buzz around the room, crash into a wall and fall to the floor.

The really bad thing about them is that they are odiferous, an offense to the olfactory senses. In other words, they stink.

Battling these things is a pain. To deal with the immediate infestation you need to trap then one by one. However, if you aren't careful they will raise a stink.

Sucking them into the vacuum doesn't work very well. The vacuum will stink. You don't want to crush them and throw them in the trash because the trash, and possibly your hands, will stink.

We've found a couple of things that work. (1) Catch them with a bit of saran wrap or the equivalent. Roll that up into a tight ball. The Saran Wrap is pretty good at locking the scent in. (2) Get a decent wad ot toilet paper and catch them without crushing them. Ball it up and flush them down in the sewer with the rest of the stink.

For the longer term I'm going around the house checking for cracks at the baseboard, windows, light switches and any other area they can get in. By sealing that up, you will reduce the infestation inside the house. Once the summer comes and they have left the walls, it's time for Mister Caulk Gun and a lot of caulk. That will help keep them out for next year.

I have read that you don't want to use insecticides. Supposedly you will then have carpet beetles that will eat the dead bugs and then your woolen clothes. There are some traps that are supposed to work.

For more info, you can check out the Penn State Page or wiki on the critters.

Suspicious Skunk Spotted - Beware of rabies

2008-03-10T16:23:00.002-04:00

I went outside just after noon this afternoon. You could smell a strong smell of skunk. I looked over at our fenceline and the perpetrator was on the other side, about 15 yards from me (Waaaay too close for comfort). I watched him for a little bit with binoculars from the other side of my truck windows. He ambled along the fence for about 10 yards, then sat down. After a couple of minutes, he went another 10 yards and then stopped. He walked back along the fence and over to a burrow about 10 yards into the neighbor's property.

The main problem is that (1) it was walking and acting erratically and (2) it was out during the middle of the day. Both of these are possible signs of a rabid animal.

I called both our township and Bucks County Health and Human Services. Neither could offer any real help other than to hire a professional exterminator. I was a bit surprised and disappointed considering the seriousness of rabies. I believe only one person has ever survived exposure to rabies without having received the vaccination or shots.

The gentleman at the County was helpful otherwise. He mentioned that the main carriers were skunks, racoons, bats, foxes and feral cats. I was aware of the first three but wasn't aware of the latter two. We do have a fox that comes through occasionally but it seems to be pretty healthy. Oh well, just one more thing to be aware of.

Bucks County Hazardous Waste and Computer Program - 2008

2008-03-08T19:54:00.004-05:00

This summer Bucks County will have four hazardous waste drop off dates for residents. While this program is nice, I really wish it was just a little easier to dispose properly of hazardous waste.

I believe you are limited as to how many computers you can drop off. There are two things you should keep in mind when dropping computers and monitors off

Keep a record of the serial number and the fact that you dropped it off at a properly designated drop off point. If the machine should ever turn up in an illicit landfill, you will have proof that you acted properly if the EPA should prosecute you (that has happened in the past with some waste disposal companies)
The hard drives should be physically removed or destroyed. Simply erasing or formatting them does not adequately remove sensitive information.

The dates and locations are

Lower Makefield Corporate Center: May 3rd
Upper Bucks County Area Vocational Technical School: June 21st
Middle Bucks Institute of Technology: July 19th
Bucks County Technical High School: August 16th
Quakertown Community Pool: September 27th

Resources

Main Bucks County Recyling Page
2008 Hazardous Waste Flyer - Tells you exactly what to bring and what not to bring.
Directions to the drop off sites

Whitewater release on Tohikon Creek March 15-16

2008-03-01T10:05:00.003-05:00

Water will be released from Lake Nockamixon into Tohickon Creek on March 15 and 16. This should provide some class 3 and 4 rapids. So, get your surfboard... ooops, wrong blog.. Get you whitewater craft, safety gear and get ready for some fun

More Info:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/pa-dcnr-plans-whitewater-release-bucks-countys-tohickon-creek_492817_1.html

A Bucks County Jigsaw Puzzle.

2008-01-31T01:36:00.000-05:00

We have an online jigsaw puzzle of a Bucks County landmark at

http://four.flash-gear.com/npuz/puz.php?c=v&id=2758386&k=12590805

See if you can determine what it is and where it is located and let us know in the comments.

have fun

Day Trip - The Da Vinci Center in Allentown

2008-01-23T21:33:00.000-05:00

If you are in the upper part of Bucks County and are looking for something to do with the kids, check out the Da Vinci Center in Allentown PA. If you are near Quakertown, you just need to take the Turnpike's Northeast Extension north one exit.

The Davinci Center is a small hands-on science center. There is a great variety of exhibits to keep the kids occupied for hours. We spent a whole day and still did not cover everything. The center is well staffed with volunteers who help the kids understand the various exhibits.

Topics include: the weather, bridge building, light, chemistry, marine biology, robotics, electricity and a whole lot more.

Tips:

- They have vending machines onsite that offer pizza and other goodies. If you want something more extensive, check with the staff. We were able to use our receipt for a readmission which let us go over to the nearby Friendly's.
- Things seem to be busier in the morning hours since a lot of the schools come early and leave some time after noon. That could be different on any given day.
- Many of the exhibit areas have drawers with additional hands on materials. Look for the lables or ask the staff.

For more information, see the Da Vinci Center's site at http://www.davinci-center.org/

Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown (And Doylestown)

2008-01-16T22:45:00.000-05:00

I was working with a client in Newtown and things ran a bit longer than expected. I needed to pick up an external hard drive and lunch. He had just come back from the New Jules Thin Crust Pizza in Newtown and recommended it.

Jules is located in the new, historic looking, shopping center located where the old Goodnoe's was.

If you go, grab one of the menus. You get in line and there is a selction of oblong shaped thin crust pizzas with an interesting variety of toppings (ie potatoes)

I ordered a bruschet and a white pizza. That, along with a green tea and cookie came to about 9 bucks. Not cheap but it was definitely worth it.

The place isn't one where you would want to sit for a long lunch. It is a bit noisy and the tables were full. I finally found a table for four that was open and sat there. Another person asked if he could join.. No problem.

I noticed that some people appear to have ordered a full pizza ahead.

The portions don't appear to be large, but it was more than enough for even my large appetite. As far as the taste, it was excellent. I enjoy a good thin crust pizza and this was excellent.

Oishi Japanese Thai & Korean Restaurant in Newtown

2008-01-05T00:27:00.000-05:00

We've been eating on a fairly regular basis at Oishi in Newtown.

It's a small restaurant in the strip mall on Eagle Road. They have a Hibachi room in addition to the regular seating. If you want Hibachi, you might want to make reservations. They also have a sushi bar.

The restaurant serves a variety of Japanese, Thai and Korean dishes. My favorite is the Shrimp Tempura Bento. If you arrive before 2pm, (might be 230) you can get the special for about $10. The Bento is served on a tray with salad with an orange sauce, dumplings, fried veggies, rice, noodles, shrimp and pieces of a California roll. It's a good bit of food for 10 bucks.

The service is fast and friendly. Deserts are a bit expensive if you get them. The atmosphere is casual and non smoking. So far, they don't appear to have a website.

They do get busy at times so make sure you plan ahead or call in reservations.

2817 S Eagle Rd
Newtown, PA 18940
(215) 860-5511

The Landing in New Hope - Now allows smoking

2008-01-05T00:20:00.000-05:00

We were going to stop in at The Landing in New Hope for dinner on the way home from a recent trip.

We got a bit of a surprise when we walked in and found a bar with smoking. The decor looked totally different and a lot less cozy. Being a completely non smoking family, we decided not to eat there. The place is small and when you are spending upwards of a hundred bucks for dinner, we don't want smoke.

My wife did some research and it appears that they were hit hard in the flooding which necessitated a re-design (the ability to rapidly remove equipment and furnishings in the event of future floods).

I suppose they were adjusting their ambience somewhat as they re-adjusted after the flood. If you are looking for a smoke free environment, The Landing might not be the place for you. On the other hand, if you are a smoker, you might want to check it out.

Leon Redbone at the Sellersville theater - Jan 20, 2008

2007-12-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

Well, here's something I didn't know, musician Leon Redbone is a Bucks County Native according to the Sellersville Theater. He will be playing there on Sunday Jan 20th, 2008.

Leon is a singer and guitarist. His music includes Jazz, Blues, Tin Pan Alley (Turn of the last century) and other musical styles.

For more show info, visit http://www.st94.com/music/2008_01.html. You can also visit the official Leon Redbone site at http://www.leonredbone.com/

Commander Cody in Sellersville - Jan 5 - Remember the Hot Rod Lincoln?

2007-12-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Commander Cody will be playing at the Sellersville Theater on Saturday January 5th 2008. If you were around in the 70's you probably remember hearing their "Hot Rod Lincoln".

As with many of the aging rocker bands, there have been some personnell changes over the years. Tickets are 19.50 and the show starts at 8. The theater is located at Main and Temple streets in Sellersville, PA

For more info, visit http://www.st94.com/music/2008_01.html

Dining - Il Melograno in Doylestown

2007-12-29T20:19:00.000-05:00

Il Melograno is tucked away in a strip mall at Old Dublin Pike and Easton Road. It's a charming little place that is rapidly gaining popularity.

There are about a dozen small tables and a fully stocked bar. The decor leans toward mediterranean. We visited Il Melgrano on Christmas Eve. That night was by reservation only. With the popularity of the place, reservations are a good idea.

I opted for one of the specials which was lobster and ravioli in a cream sauce. It was excellent. For dessert, I opted for the Tartufo with an espresso topping.

Dinner proved to be a very pleasant experience. The prices were reasonable and the service was excellent.

For more information, you can visit their website at http://www.ilmelogranodoylestown.com/dinnermenu.html