Every Thursday afternoon, the kitchen at the Presentation of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church, located on Allentown Road in Lansdale, swings into action as they busily prepare dinner for soon-to-arrive bingo players.  Doors to the Social Hall open at 5 p.m. to permit bingo players time to indulge in homemade food before the games begin at 6:45 p.m.  This past week found Stephanie Stanton, a dedicated volunteer, hard at work stirring, chopping and frying in anticipation of a crowd of hungry bingo players due to arrive shortly. She noted that she is usually joined by Sue May, another long-…

It was all about listening with your eyes and seeing the sounds of praise. Montco Bible Fellowship, located at 160 E. Main St. in Lansdale, was alive with the sounds of Gospel music and the artistic, fluid movements of its Hands of Praise Signing Choir Sunday evening. Christina Kellman, leader of the ministry group, has been directing the choir at the Lansdale church for more than 12 years. She noted that the choir started with just three women, and the group has varied in size, with as many as 12 members at one time.  At present, the choir consists of five dedicated women who use their hands…

Area residents are anxious to know what, if any, progress is being made in leasing the vacancies at the Ralph’s Corner Shopping Center.  Adjusting to new shopping locales and longer drives to pick up groceries, even for a quick stop to buy a gallon of milk, have worn thin on shoppers. Ralph’s Corner Shopping Center began when Ralph’s Supermarket moved from its old location on Main Street, which is presently occupied by the Main Street Diner. Ralph’s was an independent market with a local, loyal hometown following. The market was bought out by the Clemens Market chain, and later became a Super…

We certainly have been experiencing an abundance of both man-made and natural disasters in the past few weeks and months, and then came the discovery and end to the world’s most wanted man. His demise should make us feel safer, but in reality, are we? And then there are those that question exactly what is going on. Japan’s earthquakes, followed by the giant tsunami and nuclear crisis, are unfathomable catastrophes that almost appeared to be surreal images from a disaster movie—only jarring us into reality with the photos taken of human suffering. Hundreds of tornadoes roared through the South…

The next segment in our weekly parks series includes a “pocket park” and two underused areas of designated open space.  For those unfamiliar with the term, a pocket park can also be referred to as a parkette, a mini-park, a vest pocket park, or a small park—all of which are open to the general public for recreation and leisure use. Neatly tucked in behind the York Avenue Apartments and homes on both the 200 block of York Avenue and the 200 block of Susquehanna Avenue resides the aptly named York and Susquehanna Park. This small oasis, situated on 0.9 acres, is a true pocket park that provides…

The Mennonite Heritage Center on Yoder Road in Harleysville was the site of a “hook-in” on a recent Saturday.  Hookers from the Hunterdon County Rug Artisans Guild gathered to work on their current hooking projects, participate in presentations and clinics, share their ideas with other hookers, and to display their hooking works of art.  Several vendors were on-site with supplies that could be purchased, and they had plenty of ideas and advice to share.   Though the majority of the participants were women, there were several men in attendance who are skilled artisans in the craft, with one …

High school football and basketball star, Vietnam vet, race car driver, recording artist, movie star, restaurateur, bartender, writer, sports car aficionado—these descriptions could represent many separate people.  But, in fact, one local, lifelong resident can lay claim to all of the aforementioned. Frank "Skeets" Mariano has become somewhat of a local legend, and he has a long and storied history centered in and around the greater Lansdale area. He is a hometown boy, born and raised in Lansdale, who went on to pursue a number of interesting and fulfilling careers.  West Fifth Street was …

You could say that Dale Moyer has the perfect job.  He walks to work from home, which is just a few steps away, sets his own hours, always has Mondays off and, sometimes, his wife even delivers his meals. There are no long commutes, no weather-related travel considerations, and all his work comes to him. The sign for Dale's Barber Shop, with a pole of helix red, white and blue, has been a familiar sight along Forty Foot Road for more than 50 years. Those stopping at the traffic light can oftentimes observe Moyer, busy at his trade, inside his shop, which is attached to his home. Although …

Do you have a gold mine hiding somewhere in your house waiting to be uncovered and discovered? Is your basement or attic filled with a treasure trove of antiques and collectibles just sitting there collecting dust? Would a little extra money come in handy?  The Treasure Hunters Roadshow is in Lansdale until Friday, and a crew of experts is ready to examine your items with no appointment necessary.  Rick Gunther is the manager for the show that is currently residing at the Lansdale Homewood Suites.  “I look at it as a stimulus package to the local town. It gives people some extra money that …

Arnold Kauffman is passionate about starting a revolution—that is, a raw food revolution, and he is trying to spread the message through his unique and innovative Arnold’s Way Vegetarian Raw Food Café located in the Dresher Arcade at 319 W. Main St. in Lansdale.  “To live free, happy and vibrant, without care, without ever worrying, and that disease is not possible on a 100-percent raw diet” is Kauffman's credo, and his mission is to educate those who are willing to listen and change their lifestyle.   According to Kauffman, once food is heated to a temperature of 120 degrees, usually for …

Do you like to keep an eye on the weather, make your own predictions, and sometimes feel that you would do a better job than the local forecasters?  Then, here is your chance to add your important input to a national network of “backyard” weather watchers. CoCoRaHS is the acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow network.  CocoRaHS consists of volunteers from across the country that measure precipitation in their own backyards and neighborhoods. Their work collectively tracks storms across the whole country, providing essential information to climatologists to better …

Everyone loves a donut, and today, Pennsylvania German tradition dictates that indulgence in the pastry is the last chance to celebrate before the Lenten season.   The fastnacht is generally made from fried potato dough topped off with maple syrup or sugar—granulated or powdered.  Fats, and sugary substances are not to be eaten during the fasting period of Lent, and this is one economical and tasty way to dispose of them. Fastnachts are not to be confused with a regular donut since they are only made with potato dough and are made in the shape of a square without center holes.  Other cultures…

Ahhh … that first cup of coffee in the morning—the kick start, the wake-up call, what would we do without it? To many people, it’s a morning ritual that is both a habit and a necessity required to begin the day.  Squeezing in the stop at the coffee shop on the way to work to grab that latte became a way of life for a lot of people. Then, the economic downturn occurred, and we were bombarded with ways to cut back, economize and become frugal.  Many reluctantly turned to the office hot pot, a jar of instant coffee and that fake powdery creamer. Yes, we were saving money, but it just wasn’t the …

Businesses come and go. Some succeed, and some just fade away. Then there are those that not only succeed, but they go on to become an institution in the neighborhood.  The Store at Towamencin may just be the oldest family-run business in the Lansdale area, with its inception dating to 1952 when Irv Lopoten opened for business in almost the exact location of today’s store on Allentown Road near Forty Foot Road.  Today, The Store is run by Irv’s sons, Ron and Joel Lopoten. Back then, Irv was a salesman, and he had his eye on a building that was operating as a general store at the time.  After …

Locals have been eager to learn what retail establishments may be filling the vacancies at the Towamencin Shopping Village, but unfortunately, there isn’t anything firm to report at the present time.  The shopping center, located at 1758 Allentown Road in Lansdale, opened in 1990. Genuardi’s was the anchor store at the time, and The Store moved into its current location after its former location was razed to make way for the new center. According to Suzette Timme, who is with the leasing division of Spectrum Partners, there has been interest in some of the vacant stores, but there have not …

Valentine’s Day has been celebrated for centuries all around the world.   Many legends abound as to its origins, but most agree that its beginnings can be traced back to ancient Romans and Christians.  Some believe that its inception began as a Roman fertility festival called Lupercalia. This pagan holiday was renamed in honor of several Christian martyrs — Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni — and was established by Pope Gelasius in 496 A.D. as a Christian Feast Day.  Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.  What better way to say, “I love you” than with a …