By Charlie Sahner

New Hope band JC Satellite will perform “A Concert for Carly – Destroy Leuk” on Saturday, March 5 to raise awareness and money for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Three of the four bandmembers are classmates at New Hope-Solebury High School of Carly Stephens, who was diagnosed with leukemia in July, 2010.

Radio deejay “Spike” from Philadelphia’s WYSP 94.1 FM will emcee the concert, which also includes an opening performance by singer/songwriter Kelly Carvin and special guest Gabby D’Angelo, another classmate from New Hope-Solebury High School.

Doors to the concert will open at 7 p.m. at the Eagle Fire Hall, 46 N. Sugan Road in New Hope. Tickets are priced at $12 and available at the JC Satellite website.

Those who can’t attend may make a donation to AML Research at the Childrens’ Hospital giving page.

By Charlie Sahner

Rumors are flying among parents of children enrolled at St. Martin of Tours School in New Hope that the institution is closing.

St. Martin of Tours School is a private Catholic elementary school serving students of all denominations from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.

Some speculate that low enrollment may be the cause.  Other parents are wondering how a potential closure might affect enrollment figures at New Hope-Solebury schools, although several parents have said on a popular local Facebook site that they would move their children to other area Catholic schools if necessary.

School teachers and staff there seem well-liked by students and parents, some of whom say they are still fighting to keep the school open.

A church spokesperson contacted Sunday confirmed the move was under consideration, but said, “The final word will come from the Cardinal within two weeks.” 

The trout have died in Primrose Creek.

The creek originates near Solebury Village, and meets the Delaware River at Phillips Mill, a hamlet steeped in local art history and the site of a Colonial-era mill powered by the creek. The waterway is important not only due to its historical and artistic value but also because it sustains local flora and fauna. Virtually every home in the area depends on the creek as a water source, as do wetlands, fish, birds, and plants.

Two years ago, New Hope Crushed Stone and Lime submitted a request to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to excavate an additional 50 feet deeper at their quarry at the corner of River and Phillips Mill roads.

At that time, the growing number of lost wells, sink holes, and dry sections of Primrose Creek galvanized Solebury residents, officials, and environmental groups to speak up in opposition to the request, which is still pending before the PADEP.

“The mining activities of New Hope Crushed Stone have resulted in decreased ground water elevations and altered flow patterns throughout much of the Primrose Creek watershed and beyond its boundaries,” said the township. “Consequently, many residents have had to lower their well pumps, deepen their wells, or replace their wells.”

Solebury Township went on to say that “removing the Primrose Creek stream channel on the quarry property and pumping ground water down to greater than 100 feet below sea level in the quarry pit has caused many major problems for home and property owners in the area” including damage to “potable supply wells” along with “land erosion, impacted fish community and aquatic ecology, damaged wetlands and water pollution.”

Other area environmental groups like the Primrose Creek Watershed Association, Bucks County Trout Unlimited, the Delaware Riverkeeper, the Delaware River Basin Commission, and the Aquetong, Paunacussing and Pidcock Creek watershed associations, are also concerned about damage from the quarry.

Kevin Morrissey, head of the Primrose Creek Watershed Association, explained that there has been a significant amount of analysis performed by Solebury Township consultants and the PADEP Aquatic Biology Unit in Norristown in recent years. “These studies have concluded that the quarry is taking more than their fair share of water resources,” he said. “The experts have determined that this is an unsustainable condition that will continue to get worse.

“Some individuals have expressed the opinion that the mining interests in this state will overshadow other higher priority concerns such as the right of residents to have a safe and healthy environment for themselves and their children,” added Morrissey.

“Our Association believes that the strong support shown by Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks and Mongomery) and Bernie O’Neill (R-Bucks) for our efforts will communicate to the DEP Secretary and others in Harrisburg that the security of Pennsylvania residents takes precedence over an aging quarry,” he continued.

Operations began in the quarry in the 1940s, and groundwater withdrawals began to increase in order to keep the quarry pit dry. In 1998, say environmentalists and Solebury Township, the Primrose Creek stream channel was removed on the quarry property with PADEP knowledge.

Ironically, in May 2009 a PADEP Aquatic Biology Unit study concurred with Solebury Township’s own study, detailing quarry effects like dewatering, sedimentation and erosion. One year later, the PADEP placed the Primrose Creek on the endangered list.

Environmental groups say they’re concerned by the quarry’s estimated average water consumption of three million gallons per day, which they believe is drawn from the Primrose and Aquetong watersheds and is ultimately expelled along with sediment into the Delaware River.

Said a Solebury resident living about one mile from the quarry, “Our well hasn’t been affected yet, but our windows rattle with each blast on Wednesday mornings, our lawn is beginning to show waves and swells, and tree roots are suddenly being exposed.”

Mining is big business in Pennsylvania, and while the Norristown office of the PADEP has confirmed that environmental damage has been caused by New Hope Crushed Stone, the department’s Pottsville “Mining” office seems to enjoy a somewhat cozy relationship with the industry. In fact, mining has been designated by the PADEP as an “Industry of the Future”, and “is important to Pennsylvania’s economy and the needs and interests of PA’s mining industry intersect significantly with the visions and roadmaps the mining industry developed with the Department of Energy’s Office of Industrial Technologies.”

According to the U.S. Geological survey, Pennsylvania produces about $2 billion worth of coal annually, and nonfuel mineral production, including crushed stone and lime, accounts for more than $1 billion in annual production in the state.

So, after two years of weighing the quarry’s request to dig even deeper, where does the PADEP now stand on the documented damage to the Primrose Creek and nearby wells, the formation of sink holes, and killing of local wildlife, and what are the department’s planned next steps and overall position on the quarry and its continuing activities?

Says a PADEP spokesperson in a statement, “In touching base with our Watershed Management and Mining staff, I confirmed that we are still reviewing all the information and are discussing the matter with Solebury School officials and the quarry operator. Our mining folks advise that there have been no recent water losses noted.”

The Solebury School?

Officials at the Solebury School acknowledged discussions with PADEP but declined any further comment. The prestigious private school is situated in close proximity to the quarry and neighbors say sink holes have appeared on its grounds.

And while Solebury Township may have once been in the vanguard of the fight for protection of its residents and land, including undertaking studies, legal action, and publicizing environmental concerns extensively on its Web site, the township now seems to be backing away from its prior commitment to resolving the overall quarry issue rapidly, say local environmentalists and political observers.

Some speculate that the results of last year’s Board of Supervisors election may have tipped the balance of that group’s composition in a manner detrimental to environmental concerns. Others familiar with the situation speculate that Solebury’s budget is coming under pressure, and the township is now placing a higher priority on land development and growth of its tax base, as evidenced by the recent proposal for expanded commercial development near Logan Square.

Top Solebury officials did not respond to requests to be interviewed for this article.

Unfortunately, a geographic fault line connects the Aquetong Watershed to the quarry in question, say area conservationists. And that means New Hope and its water supply may be imperiled next as the PADEP lets its decision making process drag on.

As author Norman Maclean once said, “Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it.”

Meanwhile, the trout are gone from what’s left of Primrose Creek, its silty water flowing inexorably toward the Delaware River.

Nydia Vega Reeves, Nydia Neubauer, Lucy George, Nydia Luz Vega

Update: Alleged “Con Woman” Being Investigated by Police in New Hope PA

By Charlie Sahner

An alleged con woman has been operating in New Hope recently and local police are actively investigating her activities. The alleged suspect has previously been reported to owe large amounts of money to two individuals, one in New York and the other in California, and to have written bad checks and rented apartments without paying in New York City. Here in New Hope, several incidences of alleged scamming are being looked into, and at least one alleged victim is a very well known local businessman. More to follow on this fast breaking story.

By Charlie Sahner

It’s probably too early to tell, but last week’s opening of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s new Fine Wine & Good Spirits store at the Logan Square shopping complex in New Hope already shows signs of being a hit with consumers.

A visit to the new wine and liquor shop revealed a well rounded selection of products, competitive prices and a steady stream of excited customers. Said one departing customer with a large paper bag (the store tries to be environmentally responsible), “Great selection, well laid out, and easy to find what you want.”

Commenting on the new location, PLCB Chairman Patrick J. “PJ” Stapleton said, “We are thrilled with the New Hope Store and we hope consumers are as well. It is a prototype store which means we will take the feedback from consumers to find out what works and what doesn’t work and to see if there are things we can do better. Our rebranding effort is a work in progress.”

A focal point of the new store is a center table, where consumers can find staff to answer questions, provide tasting selections, and ring them up quickly. The atmosphere is more Barnes & Noble than the typically dark and claustrophobic spirit shops one encounters.

The wine offerings seemed to represent many of today’s most popular bottles, with a naturally heavy emphasis on domestics from California, Pennsylvania and other states. France and Italy were given equal weight with countries like Chile and Australia, which again reflects current consumer tastes, but also means the variety of Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone, Barolo and other more traditional favorites was somewhat limited. All in all, the wines were fairly priced and well displayed, with numerous highlighted specials.

The liquor selection was impressive, dominated by a huge offering of various vodka brands. Surprising was the relatively large choice of cordials, rums and bourbons, including some hard to find bottles. Among these were the incomparable Booker’s Bourbon on sale for $41.99, and Ron Zacapa 23-year-old, arguably the world’s smoothest rum, for $44.99. Even the Bacardi 8 was a good buy; at $19.99 it was $7.00 less than I last paid in New Jersey.

Competition from New Jersey liquor vendors minutes away is a serious challenge, for sure. Pennsylvania’s somewhat archaic laws mandating that liquor and wine be sold in state stores and beer largely at discount outlets, restaurants and bars have put the state at a disadvantage in the past. But alcohol taxes have been rising in the Garden State of late, and the PLCB seems determined to compete effectively.

Says Stapleton, “Our selection and pricing is very competitive with New Jersey. We believe our store in New Hope will be a destination and people from both Pennsylvania and New Jersey will shop in it.”

A movement afoot in the Pennsylvania Legislature to privatize alcohol distribution also adds urgency to the PLCB’s effort to become a more consumer-focused retail business.

“The public-policy decision regarding government’s appropriate role in the sale of wine and spirits in PA is a matter for our elected public-policy makers — the Legislature and the Governor to decide,” commented Stapleton. “Our job at the PLCB is to spend our time, energy and resources creating the very best consumer experience we can. We are focused on that effort every day and think Pennsylvanians will continue to be pleased with the changes we’ve made,” he added.

So far, those changes appear well-received. The new store is “very pleasant,” said Glenn Ricci of New Hope. “Everybody is very cordial and helpful, the place looks great, and everything’s nicely displayed so it’s easy to choose.”

Another exiting customer, a tall, distinguished gentleman wearing sunglasses, a Panama hat, and a beatific smile, when asked what he thought of the store responded simply, “Lovely. Just lovely.”