A petition asking New Hope's Borough Council to expand parking hours at the New Street lot adjacent to borough hall is now being displayed at dozens of business locations around town and appears to have garnered at minimum several hundred signatures representing residents, merchants and visitors.
The petition organizers, including local business leader Joel Roberts and Borough Councilperson Bill Scandone, are attempting to demonstrate support for keeping the key parking area open until 2:30 a.m., as are other lots in the borough.
The issue will be taken up at the New Hope Borough Council meeting scheduled for September 21, where a previous proposal to expand parking lot hours until 10:30 p.m. from the current 9 p.m. will be considered.
We spent some video time with co-founder and lead vocalist Gene Ween (a.k.a. Aaron Freeman) of alternative rock band Ween at their New Hope headquarters, God Save the Qweens, 13. W. Mechanic St.
Solebury Township Police report that there was a forced entry residential burglary on Old Windy Bush Road on Wednesday, Aug. 18 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. The apparent point of entry was a rear exterior door, forced open with a one-inch pry tool, said local authorities.
Police in Solebury are looking for a suspect vehicle described as "a dark green older model Jeep Cherokee occupied by two Hispanic males" that was seen on Old Windy Bush Road on Aug. 17 and 18. The vehicle and occupants were also spotted on Covered Bridge Road, allegedly looking for a horse farm when confronted by a resident after rapping on the front door and a side window of his home, said Chief of Police Dominick Bellizzie.
Bellizzie advises residents to exercise common sense precautions, like locking doors and making sure to activate alarm systems before leaving home.
Separately, Doylestown Police Chief Stephen White said his township has been "inundated" with auto break-ins for months, with an average 10-15 such incidents per week.
The thieves involved are targeting cellphones, GPS systems, wallets, laptop computers and other small items that might be sold easily to purchase drugs or for other purposes. The suspects are believed to be in their twenties and living in the area or a neighboring county, according to White.
He advises residents, as cannot be repeated often enough, to lock their vehicles and not leave valuable articles in plain view.
Not! This multi-room space is crammed with accoutrements.
By Charlie Sahner
What had been billed by locals for months as a future "lingerie shop" at 6 W. Bridge St. turned out this week to be much, much more.
Sweet Escape is a "sensual store for women and couples," says owner Dawn Ellery.
Tastefully decorated, with an airy, inviting feeling, the store belies the adult store stereotype.
The lingerie serves as a veil, behind which are roomy display areas for oils, unguents, and what might appear to the famous cartoon character Mr. Magoo as an extensive selection of *ahem* plumbing fixtures and thermoses. Beyond are smaller rooms, with more lingerie, a low-key selection of DVDs, and books for women and couples of all lifestyles.
So what distinguishes this shop from three others of somewhat similar ilk in New Hope?
"The store is open and romantic, dialogue is encouraged, the product mixture is good, and we're creating a more comfortable space," says Ellery.
Reigning king of fetish wear Le Chateau Exotique on West Mechanic Street won't be threatened competitively by this newcomer, but the other two must be sweating.
Ellery aims to utilize the large space for events, including those run by therapists specializing in wellness and sensuality education. A former corporate benefits manager, she lives in Yardley with her husband and two children.
This store will be a contender.
A grand opening celebration featuring wine, cheese, and giveaways is scheduled for 6-10 p.m., Aug. 28.
myYearbook is one of the fastest growing social networking sites on the Internet, emphasizing meeting new people (read: "dating") through chat and game applications.
How will they compete with Facebook, and why did they choose New Hope for their rapidly expanding headquarters?
Check out the video interview above (you can adjust the volume to your liking) and meet the co-founders of myYearbook at their Union Square headquarters.
The focus was on parking lot hours of operation at Tuesday night's meeting of the New Hope Borough Council.
It seems that when the borough took over ownership of Saint Martin of Tours Catholic Church and its adjacent parking lot a few years ago, it also gained the legal right to change parking lot policy. Net effect: a $3.00-$5.00 lot allowing parking until 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9:00 p.m. Sunday became a metered lot that shut down at 9:00 p.m. every night of the week.
One can park at other metered locations throughout the borough, pay only until 9:00, and vehicles can be left overnight for no charge.
When Friday Night Fireworks began this summer, some car owners reported being ticketed in the borough lot, although they had returned quickly to their vehicles after the show. That, in turn, gained the attention W. Mechanic St. business owners, including Joel Roberts, who raised the issue with Borough Council and was invited to speak during the public portion of their monthly meeting by Council President Sharyn Keiser.
(Later in the summer, police tacitly began allowing cars to stay until around 10:30 p.m. on friday nights to accomodate visiting fireworks spectators.)
Speakers on both sides of the issue were respectful and reasoned, with varying resident views of where New Hope's future lies. Aside from Roberts, Frank Policare of Penn Wealth Planning spoke articulately about returning to a more vibrant commercial era featuring late evening dining and entertainment, and Ernie Bowman, former Historic Archictectural Review Board Chairman, talked eloquently of a period even further back in time when New Hope was a less crowded, quieter place in which to live.
After listening to public speakers representing all sides of the issue, Borough Council voted and proposed a compromise solution providing for lot closure at 10:30 each evening. Councilpersons Bill Scandone and Ed Duffy objected to the proposal, emphasizing the need to help local commerce by extending lot hours until at least 11:00 p.m.
The issue will be heard before Borough Council again on September 21, at which time the proposal for a nightly 10:30 parking lot closure can be approved or denied following public input, or a new proposal for a different hour can be discussed and put forth for a vote during the following month's meeting.
When California natives Louis and Eddie Vanegas came to New Hope via New York City some nine years ago, their goal was to make a simple living by baking a great pie of pizza.
And despite several challengers over the years, the brothers Vanegas have stayed on top, occupying an important niche in family-style, value-oriented dining.
Their secret?
"Friendly service," says Louis. Of course, offering free delivery to New Hope, Lambertville and Solebury doesn't hurt either.
Neither does the pizza itself: traditional style, on the thin side, crispy but not crackly or cornmeal-ensconced. It's really "Queens style," i.e. not dripping cheese, with light use of a special sauce made with two kinds of tomato.
So, what flavor of pizza to choose? The clear neighborhood favorite is the Buffalo Chicken pie.
Overall: inexpensive, traditional pizza, along with good subs, salads, cheese steaks and wings; family-friendly.
The nice folks at Mercedes-Benz were foolish enough to lend the Mechanic Street crew the Smart Car they're showing this weekend at the New Hope Automobile Show, and the boyz loved it and petted it and called it George.
Fun car, fun times.
Come see it at the New Hope Automobile Show this weekend.
Superintendent Raymond Boccuti of the New Hope-Solebury School District acknowledged tonight that he will "move forward with a fourth kindergarten class" for the coming school year.
Many New Hope parents of kindergarten-aged children have been concerned about classes exceeding 25 students or more, with at least 77 students enrolled so far and only three classes authorized.
Boccuti said he has been monitoring the situation daily, and now that enrollment for the fall has stabilized, he will recommend a fourth kindergarten class to the New Hope-Solebury School Board on Monday.
Lots of people in New Hope, PA know Memo (pronounced like the word 'memo') Quieroz.
He says he's 59, but I don't believe it, even though his hair seems to get darker with each passing year.
He's been working for a long time in New Hope, sometimes 20 hours in a row or more, and saving his money so that he could become a businessman once more, as he had been in his native Mexico. He's been a regular fixture about town, working jobs like parking lot supervisor and maintenance person in places like George Michael's Union Square and Canal Street developments, as well as the Four Seasons Mall at 32 S. Main St.
He survived some hard times in Mexico, and worked so hard here that he had a heart attack a few years ago, but bounced back, saved his pennies and has now bought the well known Planet Wear store in the Four Seasons Mall (first store on the left), renaming it "Memo Wear."
Offerings consist mainly of soccer shirts emblazoned with the national colors of various World Cup teams, t-shirts, jeans, jewelry and Lotto games. I bought one of the soccer shirts that he still carries about a year ago from the prior owner; it's held up well and seems high-quality.
Memo himself seems like a high quality guy, and living proof that the American Dream lives on in New Hope, PA.
During the 1960s in places like Philadelphia and Central New Jersey the most exotic frozen treat around was a "neapolitan", those xeroxed squares of layered strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream.
When visiting Gerenser's ice cream shop in New Hope back then, I'd be astounded by exotic flavors previously unimaginable. My fave at the time: honeydew.
Today, I also like Shawn's hand made ice cream at Zoubi Food; my family buys a pint of mango flavored almost every week. And the high cream content and overall quality of the Thomas Sweet selection at the Last Temptation (pictured above at 115. S. Main St.) is awesome in all its splendid caloric excess. Most recently, I was impressed by the coffee crunch, with bits o' bean in every bite.
Dunkin' Donuts also has some frozen things, and I've heard there's good ice cream at Weenie World. There's Rita's if you like ices or their type of soft serve, and a friendly but unmemorable purveyor near the bridge.
New Hope is truly an ice cream lover's kind of town!
Robert McNamara, 26, of Robbinsville, NJ was placed under arrest and charged with driving under the influence during a vehicle investigation by Ewing, NJ Police, Lieutenant Gerald Jacobs confirmed this afternoon.
As previously reported, Enrique Patino, 44, owner of the Blue Tortilla Restaurant at 18 N. Main St. in New Hope, was hit from behind and killed while stopped on his motorcycle at a traffic light. The incident occurred at Route 29 and Lower Ferry Road in Ewing, NJ at 2:26 a.m. Saturday, said Jacobs. McNamara was taken into custody shortly thereafter and tested for alcohol blood level at a nearby hospital.
Patino's public viewing will be held Thursday 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Leaver-Cable Funeral Home (215-794-7696) in Buckingham; private funeral next day.
Enrique Patino, 42, owner of the Blue Tortilla Restaurant at 18 North Main Street in New Hope, PA was killed Friday night in a motorcycle crash, according to local friends. He is survived by his wife and four children.
He had previously owned the Milagros Gallery at 13 West Mechanic Street, where I knew him as a neighbor. He was a handsome, soft-spoken, dark haired man who seemed constantly in motion, entrepreneurial and intensely dedicated to his family.
Carl Glassman, owner of New Hope's famed Wedgwood Inn, best summed up the tragic event: "We all are in shock at Enrique's untimely passing. Friday, July 30, 2010 was a starlit summers' evening. No humidity, a nice break from the heat of the last few weeks. Between the great weather and the fireworks, New Hope was abuzz with visitors. A friend who is a server at Blue Tortilla said the restaurant was busy all day and night. She left at 11 p.m. Enrique was still there closing up when she left. At some point after that Enrique took a ride on his motorcycle..."
