Crime Report: burglary in Solebury, auto break-ins in Doylestown

By Charlie Sahner

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.

New Hope PA Recession Lunch Special

Click on the photo above to enlarge, and you'll see that at the low-end of the lunch price spectrum is a hamburger, sans cheese, for $13.50. There's also a "Kobe Burger" for $18...last I checked, those come from fatty, tortured Japanese calves, but what do I know?

With culinary bargains such as these, small wonder tourists are flocking to the nearby variable $5 -$20 per space parking lot (depends on owner's mood each day).

Think I'll go upriver to Dilly's Corner on Route 32.

Another One Bites the Dust: Bye Bye, Bois

Today's Times of Trenton asserts that "Lambertville [is] overtaking New Hope as an art center."

Says the Times: "Today, while New Hope has branded itself an entertainment and restaurant center for tourists, it is Lambertville -- with more than 35 galleries and art dealers -- that has become a destination for art collectors and patrons while the number of galleries in New Hope has dwindled. Twelve years ago, New Hope had 13; today, there are seven with two scheduled to close by fall."

Full story: http://bit.ly/yk3Wd

In reality, if one is only looking at the total number of galleries, Lambertville might "win" the contest. But usually "art center" implies more than that; it is a place where artists live and produce work.

So, the true art center will be the first town that builds affordable artists' studio spaces, encourages artists to live and work there, and offers classes and education in the arts.

Not just tired oil paintings of covered red bridges and barns, and winter impressionist landscapes in hues of lavender and mango. Fact is, New Hope has the edge when it comes to crafts, live music, tattoo art, and sculpture.

Bottom line, New Hope PA and Lambertville NJ don't need to compete, they need to cooperate.

New Hope and Lambertville: A River Runs Through It.

Think Ill trademark that.

Gratz Gallery says Goodbye

Gratz Gallery at 30 W. Bridge St., New Hope PA is moving to Doylestown. The gallery had an impressive array of Bucks County impressionist paintings from the early 20th Century, and an active restoration business. It's disappointing to see them go now after surviving the canal bridge repair fiasco, but Union Square area businesses appear to be under some pressure of late with the departure of a several key players.