Declaration of Independence Reading at Hopewell

Blogger's Note: The following was submitted by Friends of Hopewell Furnace

You are cordially invited to join the National Park Service and Friends of Hopewell Furnace in commemorating the 245th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

This in person event will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 4 from the porch of the Ironmaster's House in the park and will include selected reading from the Declaration along with performances by Berks Opera Company Director and Producer Fancine Black, her granddaughter Isabella Stetka, and international playwright Christine Emmert. 

The event is free and open to the public. 

You are welcome to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets for comfort in enjoying the event. Ranger-led programs will also be offered throughout the day every hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. introducing the history and influence of the site.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. 

Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. 

The park is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hopewell Furnace is located at 2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson. Admission to the park is free. For more information, call 610-582-8773 or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Supervisors Pick Maskrey for New Hanover Vacancy

Photos by Evan Brandt

District Judge Maurice Saylor, center, administers the oath of office to Greg Maskrey, left, while Maskrey's wife Deb holds the Bible Thursday.

With no public discussion and even less hesitation, the New Hanover Township Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday night to appoint Greg Maskrey to the vacant seat on the board, thus ignoring the will of voters who chose Keith Youse over Maskrey in the May primary.

The appointment of Maskrey likely pleased at least one voter, the man he replaced.

When he announced his retirement in May, outgoing Charles D. Garner Jr. endorsed Maskrey for the primary election. 

According to the minutes of the May 6 meeting where Garner announced his intentions, Garner said "in his opinion one candidate is far more qualified than the other candidate, suggesting that Mr. Maskrey would make an excellent supervisor."

It was not Maskrey however, but former New Hanover Police officer Keith Youse who won the Republican and Democratic primary elections, beating Maskrey in the Republican contest by a vote total of 780 to 679, according to official results.

Youse also won 134 write-in votes on the Democratic line.

There are six months remaining on Garner's term and it expires on Dec. 31. Presuming there is no surging write-in candidate in the November election, Youse will take Maskrey's place on Jan. 1, 2022.

Youse made headlines in 2019 when he accused Police Chief Kevin McKeon and (now-retired) Sgt. William Moyer of making racist remarks and other improprieties. 

He, Moyer and Sharon Hoffman all applied to fill the vacancy left by Garner's resignation.

All four were publicly interviewed for the post at a meeting on June 28.

After the vote, Maskrey produced an evidently pre-prepared letter of resignation from the township zoning hearing board given that state law does not allow him to serve on both boards.

Supervisors Chairman Kurt Zebrowski, who made the motion to appoint Maskrey, thanked all four applicants. "It was a good group to choose from," he said.

"It was a tough choice," added Supervisor Marie Livelsberger.

Both Maskrey and Hoffman congratulated Maskrey and wished him well.

"I'm pleased to sit here and serve with the four of you," Maskrey told the other four supervisors. "Hopefully we can do good things in the next six months."

Once again, several other newsworthy things happened last night, but you'll have to be patient while I write them up, or get a sneak peek by clicking here and reading this Twitter recap.

Newly seated New Hanover Supervisor Greg Maskrey, second from left, participating in Thursday's meeting after being sworn in.

Dean, Houlahan Vote for Jan. 6 Insurrection Probe

Blogger's Note: The following was submitted by the office of U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th Dist. and pulled from Rep. Dean's Twitter account.

Wednesday, Representative Chrissy Houlahan voted to establish a Select Committee, comprised of both Democrats and Republicans, to investigate the domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.

Rep, Chrissy Houlahan

“Today’s vote saddened me – the fact that there wasn’t unanimous support for an investigation into a domestic terrorist attack on American soil is difficult for me to understand,” said Houlahan. 

“We all took an oath when we were sworn in as members of Congress: ‘I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.’ In accordance with that oath, we have a duty to get to the bottom of the January 6th terrorist attack, to provide the American people answers and to send a clear signal to our allies and enemies both foreign and domestic – you cannot attack our democracy with impunity," she said in a prepared statement.

“Americans witnessed our U.S. Capitol building, the physical embodiment of our democracy, attacked and desecrated by domestic terrorists on Jan. 6. Brave police officers were beaten by a band of insurrectionists." she said.

“I voted today to establish a bipartisan Select Committee to investigate the insurrection. I did so to honor my oath. I can only say I wish all of my colleagues did the same, said Houlahan.

“As we move forward with the Select Committee, it is paramount that we carry ourselves with the solemn dignity such a task requires – those looking to score political points have no business on this mission. This is about our country, our national security and the people we have been entrusted to defend.”

U.S. Rep. Madeline Dean, in a gas mask

was evacuated during the Jan. 6 attack

"I Just voted in support of the Jan. 6 Select Committee," Dean posted on Twitter. "My vote is in support of all who work in the Capitol complex — especially the families of the fallen officers. Sadly some of my GOP colleagues *skipped the vote* to join the candidate who helped provoke the insurrection," Dean posted.

"To be clear — the Jan 6th Insurrection was a domestic terrorist attack. It was an attack on all of us that work in the Capitol Complex," Dean posted. "It was an attack on our Democracy. It was an attack on our Nation. The select committee will find the truth to ensure history never repeats," wrote Dean.

Houlahan Hails House Passage of Bill Assessing Global Learning Loss Caused by COVID-19

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th Dist.

Blogger's Note: The following was submitted by the office of U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th Dist.

The Global Learning Loss Assessment Act, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-6th Dist.) passed  the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday.

Co-sponsored by U.S. Reps  Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st Dist., the bill passed the House with overwhelming support in a vote of 366 to 46. The legislation will help identify the scope of one of the most significant secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: education loss. 

The global health crisis has disrupted the education of an estimated 90 percent of students world-wide, meaning that 1.6 billion youth have been negatively affected. The implications are especially dire for up to 24 million students at risk of dropping out of school permanently due to rising levels of child poverty associated with the pandemic.

“We cannot overstate the profound impact COVID-19 is having on education across the world,” said  Houlahan in a prepared release. “This education gap has the potential to hinder global efforts on economic justice, lasting peace, poverty eradication, ending world hunger, gender equity and more. As a steadfast advocate for women and girls around the world, I’m particularly concerned about the harrowing consequences school-aged girls face in light of school closures – including an increased likelihood of gender-based violence," she said. 

"I am so proud to announce that our bill addressing this gap has passed the House with bipartisan support. I am grateful to Representatives Fitzpatrick and Quigley for their staunch support for the legislation and efforts to begin addressing this dramatic gap in education across the world," Houlahan said. "As leaders on the international stage, the United States needs to be doing everything we can to mitigate the effects of such an education gap and stand up for the world’s youth. This bill is a critical first step in that mission.”

“This past year has deeply tested students both here in the United States and around the world,” said Representative Quigley. “To move forward successfully in this new world, we need to understand exactly what our students and education systems need not just to survive but to thrive. I’m proud to have voted for our legislation’s passage in the House today, and I am committed to advocating for it until it is signed into law.”

Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and John Boozman (R-AR) have introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

“Education loss due to the pandemic is going to reverberate throughout the globe long after COVID-19 is contained, and its impact will be more than empty classrooms. Education loss has the potential to fuel hunger, poverty, and violence. It also undermines equality, especially for girls and young women, as well as stability all over the world. We have a responsibility to mitigate this crisis before an entire generation is left behind,” said Senator Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“Understanding the impact COVID-19 has on the education of children around the world is important to our long-term investment in international education programs. Having detailed information about these current challenges will help us innovate the delivery of academic opportunities so students can continue to receive a quality education when faced with unexpected circumstances. I appreciate Senator Cardin’s leadership to ensure no student is left behind,” Senator Boozman said.

Serious educational gaps that existed before COVID-19 are being exacerbated as schools have been forced by the pandemic to transition to remote learning or close completely. Children and youth who were already vulnerable, including girls and young women, refugees, and those with disabilities, are likely to be the worst impacted by this loss of access to education. This bill notes the major economic and humanitarian implications of the learning loss, as well as the significant shortage of global financing for international education programs that is predicted. It highlights the need for the United States to promote inclusive learning opportunities, help strengthen education systems, and support the return of children to school across the globe.

If enacted, the bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to submit a report within 180 days to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the impact of COVID-19 on global learning and basic education programs. It requires the report to be made publicly available and to include:

• the magnitude of global learning loss
• the impact of school closures on marginalized and vulnerable children
• descriptions of forms of distance learning in low resource contexts
• data on USAID programs being carried out to continue learning during the pandemic
• USAID’s plan to support education programs during and after the pandemic and the resources needed to do so
• opportunities for USAID to help expand access to digital infrastructure and internet connectivity

Four Interviewed for New Hanover Board Vacancy

Charles D. Garner Jr. resigned from the New Hanover Township Board of Supervisors last last month.

Four applicants for the vacancy on the New Hanover Township Board of Supervisors were publicly interviewed Monday night in alphabetical order.

Former supervisor Charles D. Garner Jr., announced his resignation in May and the supervisors officially accepted his letter earlier this month.

Supervisors Chairman Kurt Zebrowski said the vote to the fill the vacancy will happen at the Thursday, July 1 meeting.

Four people applied to fill the seat for the six months remaining, including Keith Youse, the retired township police officer who leveled charges of racism within the department and who won both the Republican and Democratic primary elections last month.

His opponent, Greg Maskrey, also applied, as did William Moyer, the retired police sergeant who was among those Youse and another former officer accused of making racist remarks. The fourth candidate was Sharon Hoffman, who was interviewed first.

Sharon Hoffman introduces herself to the supervisors.

Hoffman is the president of the homeowners association at the problematic Windlestrae subdivision, which regularly experiences stormwater problems, which is perhaps why she identified stormwater as one of the biggest issues facing the township.

Hoffman, who serves on the township's parks and recreation committee, said she and her husband moved from Hatfield after it became overdeveloped, and they wanted a more rural setting.

Now, Hoffman said she worries the same thing may happen to New Hanover. 

The township, she said, "needs more amenities, not just homes all over the place. Development needs to be strictly controlled."

Greg Maskrey during his interview.

Maskrey, who has lived in the township for 44 years and has served on the zoning hearing board for seven of those years, agreed that development and stormwater are the township's top issues.

"We have to hold the developers to the standards," he said, noting that some residents of the Woodfield subdivision "are being told they need to have flood insurance. That's not right."

Maskrey, who retired as the second-in-command of the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department, worked at the Pottstown Borough codes department and then for 10 years as an investigator for Diamond Credit Union, also served on the township's emergency services board.

A regular at township meetings, "including some where I've thrown stones at the board," Maskrey said, "I figured it's my turn to stand up."

William Moyer addresses the board of supervisors

The third applicant also retired as the second in command of a local police department. William Moyer, who is also the fire chief at the New Hanover Fire Company, told the board what they well knew, that he "retired honorably on Christmas 2020."

"New Hanover is special," he said, saying its rural nature must be preserved. However, he also added "being mindful of people's right, we need to steer the township in the right direction."

He added his voice to the chorus of applicants saying development and stormwater are two of the biggest issues facing the township.

"We can't stop growth, but we can control it and manage it," Moyer said. "Developers come in and do what they feel they need to do, and they're gone and we have to deal with what comes afterward."

What often comes afterward is flooding, he said. Noting that he is certified in swift water rescue, Moyer said "the water I've seen here in the last two years scares the hell out of me."

Keith Youse addresses the supervisors.

Youse told the board he also believes development and stormwater are major issues for New Hanover

Noting that "the township has grown exponentially," Youse added that he knows a building moratorium is not feasible, "but let's slow things down a bit."

Youse also advocated for better involvement with the community, saying technology allows the township meetings to be livestreamed, or at least recorded. He got some pushback from Zebrwoski who argued that the best feedback for the supervisors, is the live back-and-forth at a meeting.

"I don't just want to see someone sitting at home, watching the meeting, instead of participating in it," Zebrowski said. "What do you say to the single parent who is running their children around and doesn't have time to come to a meeting?" Youse responded. "They still want to know what's going on."

One resident told the supervisors she has a long commute and listens to the Boyertown School Board meetings during the commute, and "I'm excited Keith won the election."

Youse told another resident he could not regularly attend meetings because of the possible conflict it would create with his job as a police officer. He also told the board that despite winning the election, if they choose someone else he's fine with. "Just keep the seat warm for me."

Several other news of interest occurred at the meeting, including a raise for the township manager, but you'll have to wait for further reporting on that, or, you could click here to read all the Tweets from last night's meeting.

Ciresi: Budget 'Hoards' Money Meant for Recovery

The vote in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to pass a budget that stashes away money that could have been used to make school funding fair, had 61 no votes.

One of them was state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-146th Dist. In the press release issued Friday by his office duplicated below, he explains why:

While seeing the inclusion of $4.8 million for local school districts as welcome progress, state Rep. Joe Ciresi voted no on the state budget Friday evening because he felt it failed to adequately use the state revenue surplus and the one-time American Rescue Plan federal funds available this fiscal year.

Despite Ciresi’s no vote, the budget passed by a vote of 140-61 and is expected to be signed soon by Gov. Tom Wolf.

“With nearly $10 billion in funding available through the state revenue surplus and the American Rescue Plan, I truly believed we had an unprecedented opportunity to do so much good for Pennsylvanians through this budget,” said Ciresi. “We could have prioritized fair funding for education, infrastructure and school remediation, small business relief, property tax relief and investment in job creation, all of which I’ve been advocating and fighting for as our commonwealth continues to climb out of the COVID-19 pandemic."

State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-146th Dist.

He said “this budget, unfortunately, delivers basically none of that by hoarding money intended by the federal government to be used for recovery and stimulus. Nothing gets stimulated, not a single job will be created, and not a single infrastructure project will be helped by packing the money away for a so-called rainy day. If a global pandemic that devastated our economy and changed our entire way of life isn’t stormy, I don’t know what is.”

Ciresi, though, said he is happy with parts of the budget, most notably the increases in funding that were included – especially the inclusion of $100 million in “Level Up” funding.

“This was a response to our continued advocacy alongside stakeholders and the community for fair funding and the commonwealth funding its share of education,” Ciresi said. “In addition to the $3.1 million in state funding and $1.7 million in federal funding for school districts in the 146th Legislative District, we also see significant federal funding for the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center, the Pottstown Regional Public Library and the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit.”

Ciresi had advocated for a plan to fully implement the fair funding formula alongside increases in state funding, which would have yielded almost $20 million in recurring state funds to the 146th Legislative District, compared to over $3 million that was in the state budget when excluding one-time federal funds.

The breakdown of funding for local institutions in the passed budget is as follows:

• Perkiomen Valley School District: $565,245 ($425,999 in state; $139,246 in federal).
• Pottsgrove School District: $693,660 ($354,051 in state; $339,609 in federal).
• Pottstown School District: $2.5 million ($1.7 million in state; $853,499 in federal).
• Spring-Ford School District: $977,540 ($638,765 in state; $338,775 in federal).
• Western Montgomery CTC: $379,189.
• Pottstown Public Library: $12,791.
• Montgomery County Intermediate Unit: $902,474.

“I appreciate the difficulty – or the impossibility – in pleasing everyone with the state budget, but I really feel there were too many missed opportunities in this spending plan, including zero new dollars for small business assistance,” Ciresi said. 

“We balked on a chance to close the opportunity and funding gaps for school districts in economically disadvantaged communities, such as Pottstown. The increase in basic, special and early education funding is an improvement, but we could have done so much more. I support adding money to the Rainy Day Fund, but our priority right now should be addressing the many pressing needs of our communities," Ciresi said.

“We should have done better. Just know that I will continue working tirelessly for students, for infrastructure and transit, for health care and reduced property tax burdens. The fight continues.”